The Familiar of Zero: Start of the Old Beginning
by Dio Brando XVII
Summary: Saito and Louise have defeated the Ancient Dragon and all is well. However, Saito then wakes up in his home in Tokyo as if nothing happened. But that's only because nothing HAS happened...yet.
1. Chapter 1: Back to the Beginning

**Author's Notes: Hello there! This is my first ever fanfiction and I decided to write it based on The Familiar of Zero since I love that show so much. Before I begin, I would like to say that I took inspiration from spkieeb2's fanfiction, Familiar of Zero: Let's Start Again. You will notice similarities between the two, however, there will be large differences as well. I also plan to continue this fanfiction for a long time. Ideally, for more than 100 chapters as well as more than 1 sequel, regardless of how many comments or views it gets. I will also try to release at least one chapter a week. If I can release more than that, I will. No promises though. Now, without further ado, here is chapter 1 of my Familiar of Zero fanfiction. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1: Back to the Beginning:**

Saito woke up in his bedroom in Tokyo. He felt that something was wrong, but couldn't quite remember what. He got out of bed and walked to the window, staring out of it as if the answer to his question would somehow show itself through the pane of glass. He stared out of the window for several minutes before hearing a voice.

"Saito! Get out of bed, your breakfast will get cold!" It was his mother calling him.

"I'm coming Loui-!"

It was then that it hit him. The pinkette that had caused him so much pain, but he grew to love and care for was nowhere to be found. As he thought of her, memories of what had happened began rushing back to him. Memories of how she summoned him as her Familiar. Of how he protected her from the Rock Golem. Stopped her from being married off to a traitor. Kissed her. Met her family. Gave her a drug for her to sleep while he fought the Army of 70,000. Died for her. Came back to her and destroyed the Ancient Dragon with her. They all came back to him and hit him like a train.

He became a nervous wreck, wondering why he was in his room in Japan and not with Louise. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Saito, are you okay? You don't look too well." It was his father, a dark haired, tall, muscular, handsome man with a large beard and mustache. His eyes were even more blue than Saito's and were filled with confidence, and on this occasion, concern. Saito was in a cold sweat. He couldn't think of anything to say to his father. How could he possibly tell him about his dilemma? He instead just smiled very weakly and said, "I just feel a little sick, Dad. Do you mind if I stay in bed for today?"

His father was extremely worried. For all of his tough, masculine features, he had a very soft spot for his wife and son.

"Of course, son." he said. He kissed his son's forehead. "Get some rest."

His father left Saito's room, closing the door gently. Saito sat back down on his bed, his face in his hands. He slowly began to weep. His heart couldn't take the pain of being away from Louise again. He sat there, crying for several minutes before his eyes ran out of tears to produce. He looked at his hands, feeling like a failure. He noticed that he still had the Gandalfr rune on his hand. In an act of total despair and desperation, he spoke to it. Hoping for a reply.

"H-Hey. Derf, are you there?"

He didn't receive an answer. Sadness grew further in his heart. He had not only lost Louise, but his best friend as well. He was about to start crying again, but then heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Partner. What's going on? I was asle-" Derf noticed how sad Saito looked and the residue his tears left streaming down his face.

"Partner, what's wrong?"

Saito could barely bring himself to answer. "She's gone, Derf. Louise…she's gone." Saito began to cry again, unable to hold back his tears. Derf knew how much pain Saito was in, despite not grasping the situation. He was silent and observed his surroundings, confused.

"Hey, Partner. Where are we? This doesn't look like Halkeginia." Saito looked at the rune.

"We're in my home. We're in Japan." Derflinger was shocked. His usually accurate memory was hazy. He didn't know what happened, but still tried to offer Saito some comfort.

"Don't worry, Partner. We'll get her back, so cheer up. She'd be shattered to know that you were in pain like this. We've always pulled through for her, so don't just give up this easily. We should look for clues." Saito knew Derf was right. He wiped his tears away.

"You're right derf. Thank you." Saito was glad to have a friend like Derf. As perverted, nosy, crafty, and annoying as he may be, he was always there when Saito needed him. Saito sat up and crossed his arms.

"Derf, what's the last thing you remember?"

Derf sighed, trying his best to remember what had happened. He remembered defeating the Ancient Dragon. He tried his best to remember something after that, but came up blank. He pondered for a few more moments.

"Partner, I don't remember much past the defeat of the Ancient Dragon. All I know is, there is no way you came back here by flying through the eclipse. That plane you had was destroyed. You had to be transported here by magic."

Saito was confused. "But the only person who could transport me here with magic is…Louise." Saito's head began to hurt, so he decided to let the issue rest for a little while. A thought then crossed his mind.

"Derf, how long was I in Halkeginia?" Derf looked confused.

"About 2 and a half years. Why, Partner?" Saito looked very serious.

"Why are my parents acting so normal, then? Wouldn't they be more excited to see me? And…if I was transported here by magic, why did I arrive in my bed?"

Derf was shocked. Both at the analytical ability of Saito, and at the realization that his observations made sense. "Maybe you should go downstairs and talk to your family, Saito. Try and find out some information." Saito nodded. He got out of bed and went downstairs. His mother, a tall, young looking 38 year old woman with nearly blonde hair and light blue eyes was sitting on a sofa watching television. She looked at Saito when she noticed him in the corner of her eye.

"Saito, your Father told me that you weren't feeling well! Why are you out of bed?" Saito was silent for a moment.

"I just came to get a glass of water." He went to the kitchen, deep in thought. His mother noticed his strange behavior, but didn't know what to ask him. In the kitchen, Saito spoke to Derf quietly.

"Derf, something is wrong. She doesn't seem worried at all. Or at least, not as worried as she should be if her son disappeared for 2 years." He drank a glass of water and began heading upstairs to his bedroom. He looked at the TV before going upstairs and noticed his mother was watching the news. A news story had just began.

"Yesterday, a 16 year old boy was killed in an elevator accident in Minato, Tokyo. The boy was allegedly backing out of the elevator with his bicycle when the elevator suddenly rose with it's doors still open, resulting in the boy's death. More on this story, later this hour."

It was when he heard this story that the penny dropped, with a horrible clang. He ran upstairs immediately and opened his closet, throwing several boxes and clothes out of his way. Derf was confused.

"Partner, what's wrong?" Saito didn't answer. He kept throwing things out of his way until he found his laptop. He knew something was wrong. His laptop should have been lost forever when he was teleported to Halkeginia. However, he had to be sure his suspicions were correct. He opened the computer and looked at the lower right hand corner where the time and date were displayed. His heart sunk as he read the words out loud.

"June 4th, 2006…" Derf was confused.

"Partner? Partner, what's wrong?" Saito got up slowly and sat on his bed. He sat motionless for several minutes before collapsing, unconscious.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well guys, what did you think? Was it too long or short? Too much detail or too little detail? I hope it sort of deviates from the story written by spkieeb2. I thought ending the chapter with Saito realizing the situation he was in and Derf utterly confused might be a cool touch. Tell me what you think! I appreciate any reviews and any comments. I may write 3 more chapters this week if I can. Maybe more. We'll have to wait and see. Thanks for reading!**

 **P.S. The story about the elevator accident is a real event that happened on June 3** **rd** **of 2006. I hope I did not offend anyone by including it here. May Hirosuke Ichikawa forever rest in peace.**


	2. Chapter 2: Preparations Part One

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello again! You actually stayed to read the second chapter? That was unexpected. Regardless, here is the second chapter of my fanfic. I don't know how long it will be, but I hope it's satisfying for you. Like I said, I may do several chapters this week, so keep an eye out for those. So, without further ado, here is the second chapter that literally no one was waiting for! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2:** **Preparations Part One**

Everything was dimly lit in a faint yellow light. The only sound that could be heard was of water dripping onto the cold, hard ground. Metal tubes ran up the walls like vines run up a tree. Saito was confused. "Where am I?" he thought. He got up slowly. He looked around and noticed a dark hallway. He was, of course, extremely frightened. However, at this point, he decided to walk through it since he had no other options. As he slowly walked further down the hallway, the air was becoming hotter. The hallway narrowed to the point where Saito was forced to crawl his way through. It went like this for what seemed like hours, until eventually, the hallway opened into a massive room. Like the room he was in before, it was dimly lit with yellow light, although the source of the light was unseen. Unlike the room he was in before, the ground appeared to be made entirely of water. It was as if Saito was walking on a lake. The biggest difference, however, was a massive gate at the end of the room. It stretched across the width and height of the room, at least 100 meters wide and 200 meters tall. Behind the gate, it was dark and Saito couldn't make out what was there. However, he sensed a very potent presence and could tell that whatever was behind the gate was the source of the heat he was feeling on his way to this room.

He looked around for clues, but the room was completely empty. He then looked back at the gate. In the center, where the two, jail cell looking doors met, he noticed a large tag with writing on it. It was far to high for him to read. As he was reading it, however, a chill ran down his spine as he heard a voice speak to him.

"You there. Come closer, boy."

It was a deep, ominous voice. Saito was frightened. His instincts were telling him to run, but his curiosity made him inch closer.

"What the hell am I doing? This is too dangerous." Saito thought to himself. But he couldn't stop moving closer. The being behind the gate spoke once more, seemingly having a hypnotic effect on Saito.

"Yes, that's it…just a little bit more." Saito was only a few feet from an opening between the gate's pillars. At this moment, he felt a sudden wave of heat pass over him. He jumped back just in time. A massive claw thrust forward to wear his head had just been. He had only missed it by a few inches. When Saito looked up, he could see only one feature of the being behind the gate. It's glowing, orange eyes were staring directly at him, seemingly filled with hatred.

Saito asked in a huff, as he was out of breath, "What are you?" He was frightened, and could barely stand. The creature closed it's eyes.

"You'll find out soon enough, boy. Now wake up and leave this place. Bother me no longer." As quickly as the beast had stopped speaking, Saito woke up in his room in Japan. He looked around, his eyes filled with fear. Derf, who as Saito's partner could hear and feel what Saito felt, woke up. He saw how stressed Saito was.

"Partner, what's wrong?"

Saito slowly calmed down when he heard Derf's voice. "A nightmare." He said. Derf was worried. Saito normally never had nightmares. In fact, this was the first time Saito had ever had one since he met Derf.

"It was just a dream, Partner. You're okay." Saito finally calmed down enough to think rationally. He tried to convince himself that it was a dream, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was no ordinary dream. The feeling that it was something more important. His thoughts were interrupted by Derf.

"By the way, Partner. Why did you pass out earlier in the first place? You mentioned some date and then collapsed. Your parents came in and tucked you in bed."

Saito sat, thinking for a moment. He then remembered everything. He tried his best to remain calm and then looked at his rune.

"Derf, I need to ask you a question."

"About what, Saito?"

Saito took a deep breath. "Do you know of any magic that could, for instance, alter time." Derf did not catch on, but tried to answer as best as he could.

"Only in legends, Partner. Legends that precede the first Gandalfr. It was said that 2 powerful beings once existed. Not human, not Elf, not any known being that exists today. It was said that one had the power to control time, and the other could control all objects in reality. However, no evidence of their existence was ever found. It was just an old fairy tale."

Saito was thinking to himself. "Space and time, huh?" He looked at Derf.

"Derf, try to take this as calmly as possible, but I think we've been transported back in time."

Derf was silent. If he had a face, shock would be written all over it. "Didn't you hear me, Partner? I said it was a fairy tale. It was never real."

Saito shook his head. "The story about the boy in the elevator dying happened 2 and a half years ago. Only a week or so before we were transported to Halkeginia. The time on my computer is from 2 and a half years ago as well. That's why everything seems too normal. My parent can't be worried about my disappearance because I never disappeared in the first place."

Derf didn't know what to say. "That's impossible! There has to be some kind of mistake!" Saito was quiet for several minutes whilst Derf was muttering to himself in shock. He stood up and paced around the room. After a while, his Father and Mother walked into the room, clearly worried about him. His Father spoke first.

"Saito, are you okay? You were in really bad shape last night." Saito looked at them, his eyes devoid of emotion.

"I'm okay, Father. I just…need to be alone for a while." His Father was quiet for a while, but then nodded.

"But Yuguro, he's-" His mother began in protest. However, Yuguro, Saito's Father, cut her off with a gentle pat on her shoulder. She understood that he meant it was for the best, so she left the room with him. Derf, who finally calmed down, spoke after several minutes of eerie silence.

"What are we going to do, Partner?" Saito thought for several minutes, wondering what the best course of action should be. Eventually, he came to a conclusion.

"Derf, it was my destiny to become Gandalfr, right?" Derf was silent, which Saito took as a confirmation. "If it was my destiny to become Gandalfr, that means that the portal to Halkeginia will appear again in about one week." He looked at his rune. "I'm going back. We are going back."

Derf sighed, knowing that it was pointless trying to stop him. Regardless of that, Derf wanted to go back too because although Louise was a pain for him, he loved her as a Father would love his Daughter. However, a thought crossed Derf's mind.

"Partner, you realize that if we go back, we will have to do it all again." Saito chuckled and smiled.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm looking forward to Louise's whip." He then became serious. "There is a problem though. How should we go about this? Should we make sure everything happens the way it did, or should we change everything since we already know what will happen."

Derf had been thinking about this for a little while. "If you change things, you may not end up together with Louise. But at the same time, you may end up with her sooner rather than later. It's up to you, Partner. It's a matter of deciding to go with the safe option, or the risky option. Whichever it is, I'll help you." Hearing Derf say this brought a smile to Saito's face. He got up, full of energy.

"Right! I guess we should prepare. Derf, you need a vessel, right?"

"Yes!" Derf sounded excited. "God knows what I would have to witness if I stayed in your hand any longer!" Saito's face burned red as he realize what Derf had just suggested. He simply chuckled a bit and scratched the back of his head.

"Let's go to an antique store. I'm sure they have some cool swords lying around." Saito got dressed very quickly. He looked in his closet and opened a shoebox where thousands of dollars' worth of Japanese Yen were piled up and tied together with rubber bands. He looked at the box with hesitation. He never thought that this is how this money would be put to use. He grabbed a few bundles of cash and hid them under his jacket. He then hid the box again and went downstairs. He saw his parents sitting on the couch discussing the news. He warmly smiled at them.

"Mom, Dad, I'm going out!" His parents were shocked.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You've been acting so strange", they said in unison. Saito smiled, in complete contrast with his personality when he woke up. "I feel great! I'm just going out for a walk. I'll be back soon. Love you!" With that, he ran out of the door. He grabbed his bicycle, which he had not seen for years, and rode away from the house.

He rode for several minutes, completely silent. After a while, Derf spoke up. "Where are we going, Partner?" Saito spoke in a strained voice, as he was pedaling as fast as he could. "We-We're going to an old antique store my dad us-used to take me to…" Saito rode for several more minutes before stopping in front of a small shop. It didn't look taken care of. The paint was chipped, the walls cracked, and the roof had several holes. Regardless, Saito walked inside. He rang the little bell on the counter. After waiting for a few minutes, an old woman walked slowly from a back room and walked to the front counter. She looked at Saito closely, observing his features. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Saito decided to speak up.

"H-Hello, Mrs. Aiko. Long time no see, huh?" He smiled uncomfortably. Her face didn't change as she looked at him with suspicion. After a while, she spoke up in a surprisingly strong, but gentle voice.

"Where have you been, Saito?" Saito was confused.

"Well, at home I suppose. Sorry I haven't visited for a few months." Mrs. Aiko shook her head.

"Your eyes, Saito. You've been through much. I may be old, but with age comes wisdom and experience. What exactly are you hiding?" Saito began to panic. "I think you're overreacting Mrs. Aiko." Saito chuckled nervously. Suddenly, the mysterious woman grabbed his hand. Looking intently at the rune burnt into it.

"And what is this?" Saito heart skipped a beat.

"It's just a tattoo I got. Nothing much…" He was trying his best, but even on his best days, Saito was an awful liar. Mrs. Aiko inspected the rune more closely. Clearly unconvinced. It therefore came as a surprise when she let him go and shrugged.

"If you say so. Sometimes as old crackers can get a little delusional." She started laughing. Saito wasn't sure whether to laugh, or be frightened. He simply let out a light chuckle as relief flooded his body. Mrs. Aiko smiled at him.

"So what can I help you with, Saito?"

Saito cleared his throat. "Im looking for a sword. Not a trophy sword or decorative sword. I genuine sword meant for battle."

Mrs. Aiko didn't look surprised, which was alarming to Saito. She simply nodded. "Going on an adventure are we?" Saito was clearly confused.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked. Mrs. Aiko brushed him off. "Ah nothing. Let's see what I have in stock."

She walked through the door she came out of earlier. When she was out of earshot, Derf spoke up.

"She's onto us, Partner." Saito looked at the rune. "What?! But how?" Derf was quiet, pondering this question.

"I don't know, but tread lightly. I don't know if she knows about our situation. Just play it cool, got it?" Saito nodded. After a few minutes, Mrs. Aiko came out with six cases. She set them down on the floor.

"Each of these is an old sword supposedly made for Samurai in the 1400's. I'll leave you with them to decide which one you want." She walked back through the door she came through, leaving Saito alone.

He looked at the swords for several minutes, but didn't feel that any one of them was special. He looked at his rune, hoping for some answers.

"Hey Derf, do any of these feel special to you?" Derf was silent and spoke in a serious manner. "No." Saito was discouraged, however, Derf began to speak again. "However…there is something in that room that the woman went into. I don't know what it is, but it feels…different." Saito looked up at the doorway. Mrs. Aiko was nowhere to be seen. He got up slowly and walked through it. It was a dark hallway leading to a massive warehouse. It smelled of mold and rotting wood, but Saito kept walking. His rune suddenly began to glow faintly, as Derf was becoming excited. Saito reached a large pile of old tables, lamps, chairs, etc. It was there Derf told him to stop.

"It's in there." He said. Saito looked through the pile of discarded furniture. He could very faintly see the sheen of metal through the several pieces of wood. Without a second thought, he began lifting pieces of furniture and putting them aside, creating a small tunnel that he could put his arm through and use to pull the sword out. It took upwards of 30 minutes, but eventually he managed to grab the metal. He slowly and carefully pulled it out. When he managed to do so, he quickly ran back out of the warehouse. In the light of the room he was in before, he examined the sword. It was what he recognized as a shinobigatana. The metal itself was pure white. The hilt was made of what appeared to be obsidian wrapped tan leather for grip. A small Sapphire was inlayed into the tip of the hilt. Saito was in awe at its majesty.

"So is this the one, Derf?" Saito's rune was glowing brighter than it ever had before. Before Derf could answer, a voice was heard from the doorway.

"Quite the tattoo you've got there…" It was Mrs. Aiko, looking extremely serious. Saito was shocked. He simply laid the sword on the ground. He went on his knees and bowed.

"I am terribly sorry, Mrs. Aiko. Please forgive me for trespassing." Mrs. Aiko was silent for a few moments. She sighed and picked up the sword.

"I will forgive you, child, on one condition. Tell me what is going on. I want to know everything."

Saito gulped. He knew there was no way out, so he stood up. "Okay. I'll tell you everything. But please, sit down first. It's a long story."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Okay, that was a long one. I'm sorry. I know it's probably a bit sh*t right now, but I hope you'll stay with me for the next few chapters. It know the story is a bit slow right now. Tell me what you guys think. Where can I improve? Review and comment. I don't care if it's nice or mean. Any feedback is much appreciated! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I may be write another later today. Let's see. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3: Preparations Part Two

**Author's Notes:**

 **What's up guys! I know I already released a chapter today, but I decided that it would be best to get through this "preparation arc" quickly. I'd also like to celebrate getting my first followers! Thanks a lot guys, it means a lot to me. So, without further ado, enjoy Chapter 3!**

 **Preparations Part Two**

Saito was talking to an old woman for several hours. Explaining his adventures in Halkeginia. She listened intently, without interrupting. He spoke of the Void Mage, Gandalfr, and the Ancient Dragon. As he finished his story, he decided to introduce his friend.

"Mrs. Aiko, this is Derf. The legendary sword of Gandalfr." The rune glowed as Derf made himself known to her. "Hello, Madame. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Mrs. Aiko was silent. Saito couldn't tell if it was from shock or not. Eventually she cleared her throat and looked directly into Saito's eyes, making him uncomfortable.

"So that's why you need a sword?" Saito nodded. "I have to go back. There is someone there waiting for me, even if they don't know it yet." Saito didn't tell her that he loved Louise while he was telling his story, to spare himself any embarrassment. She smiled at him, nearly laughing.

"And this person, what are they to you?" Saito was embarrassed. He wondered why he had to answer to Mrs. Aiko's cryptic questions.

"They're someone precious to me." He said, trying his best to sound cool without being explicit in what he meant. Mrs. Aiko caught on, but didn't push any further. She simply grabbed the white-bladed sword and sheathed it. She handed it to Saito, smiling.

"Take good care of this sword, Saito. It is the most valuable item I have. Priceless to me." Saito nodded, his eyes filled with determination. He wrapped the sword in a sheet and then helped Mrs. Aiko clean the shop before leaving. As he walked out of the door, Mrs. Aiko called his name. He turned around, confused.

"What is it Mrs. Aiko?"

She smiled at him mischievously and warmly at the same time.

"Take care of that girl. Love her more than you love yourself." Saito blushed, his face turning bright red.

"H-How did you know?" She spoke as she walked away into her warehouse.

"I'm an old woman, Saito. I know the look in a man's eyes when he is in love." With that, she disappeared. It was nearly dark outside and the street was silent. However, this silence was broken by Derf's laughter.

"Hahahaha! She got you, Partner! These old types really are something else!" Saito blushed and began riding his bike back home, the laughter of Derflinger ringing in his ears. When he got to his front door, Saito realized he couldn't just walk through the front door with a sword wrapped in a sheet. Instead, he decided to unsheathe the sword and hold it. His rune activated, increasing his strength, speed, and agility. He went to his back yard and jumped onto the gutters of his house, a jump which no normal human could achieve as his gutters were more than 20 feet off of the ground. He climbed through his window and hid the sword under his bed. He then climbed back out of the window and entered the house through the front door as if nothing happened. His parents had already gone to bed. There was a note for him on the table telling him his food was in the microwave. He got the food, curried beef and rice, and went to his room.

He took the sword from under his bed and examined it more closely. It was then that he noticed something strange. On one side of the blade, something was carved in Japanese.

"神の左手 (Kami no Hidarite)" Saito spoke to himself. "Impossible. This has to be a coincidence."

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Saito, I heard the door opening. Was that you?" It was Saito's Father. Saito quickly hid the sword under his bed and answered the door.

"Yeah, sorry I came back so late." Saito gave his most sincere smile, hoping to dispel any suspicions his Father may have. Saito's Father smiled.

"Don't worry about it, son. Good night." He gave his son a kiss on his forehead, something that still embarrassed Saito, and went to bed. Saito sat on the bed, back in his serious tone. He looked on the other side of the blade and was even more shocked at what he found. Even with the little Halkeginian he knew, he could read what was written there in what was undeniably Halkeginian. The Left Hand of God. Saito began to breathe heavily. Derf, who had fallen into a slumber by the time Saito had arrived home, woke up. He had felt Saito's distress.

"What's wrong, Partner?" Saito looked at his rune and held the sword over it so that Derf could read it.

Derf was surprised, but did not take it as a bad omen. He simply started to laugh.

"Don't worry, Partner. This must mean we're doing something right." Saito began to relax. Derf was extremely excited, as the rune on Saito's hand glowed brightly.

"Hey, Partner. Stop keeping me waiting. Let me try it out!" Saito laughed. He picked up the sword in his left hand. His rune glowed brightly for several seconds until it suddenly became dim. From the sword came a voice.

"This feels AMAZING, Partner! It's so much better than that heap of junk I was stuck in before! I feel so powerful!" Saito smiled, happy that his friend was so happy. He laid in bed, leaving Derf to enjoy his new body. After a moment, Derf spoke to him after calming down.

"So what do we do next, Saito? What else do we need to prepare?" Saito thought for a few seconds.

"I can't do much more. I guess I'll get some kind of body armor. That shouldn't be too hard to find. I'll do that tomorrow. For now, let's get some rest." Derf agreed. "Good night, Partner. Sweet dreams." With that, he sheathed himself and slept. Saito, however, had a much harder time sleeping. He couldn't sleep comfortably without Louise at his side. After several hours, he finally fell asleep. However his sleep was not restful.

He woke up in a familiar room. It was the same yellow, dimly lit room from before. Only now, he woke up in front of the massive gate from before. This time, Saito decided to sit in front of the gate, waiting for a response. After a while he heard the same voice from before.

"What do you want, boy?" It was just as deep and ominous as before. Saito remained sitting down. He looked directly into the darkness in front of him. He could feel the heat in the air emanating from the creature.

"I want to know who, or what, you want. I don't want us to be enemies." The creature started laughing. It was a deep, sinister, frightening laugh. He saw it's eyes open, glowing orange in the dark. As frightening as they were, Saito couldn't help but think they were beautiful. When it stopped laughing it moved slightly closer to the gate.

"You intrigue me, young man. What's your name?" the beast said with curiosity. Saito was relieved to make a little bit of progress with the being.

"My name is Saito. Saito Hiraga. What is yours?" Saito said with confidence. The beast was quiet for a few seconds.

"I suppose it is inconsequential to tell you now. My name is Gandalfr. I cannot say I am pleased to make your acquaintance, however, at the very least, you'll make my life more interesting for now." Saito was shocked. He couldn't bring himself to speak properly.

"G-G-Gandalfr? I-I don't understand…" The being chuckled. It moved back into the darkness and closed it's eyes.

"It is time for you to wake up, Hiraga Saito. You have a lot to do." Saito suddenly woke up. He looked at his clock. 9:00 AM. He stood and picked up Derf, shaking him a little until he was sure he was awake.

"Derf, we have to go now."

"Eh? Oh it's you, Saito. Going to get armor now?"

Saito nodded. "Yeah. Getting modern armor from my world would take too long. I know where I can get some metal armor though."

This was one day Saito was extremely excited about. He was going to go to Akihabara. A hub for cosplayers. He knew that he could get metal cosplay armor that would be sufficient in Halkeginia. Not only that, but he could finally have an excuse to dress like the badass he always imagined himself to be.

He picked up Derf and went downstairs. His parents had just finished setting the table for breakfast.

He walked up to both of them and gave them hugs, much to their surprise.

"Good morning, Mother! Good morning, Father!" They were pleasantly surprised to see how happy he was. His mother patted his head.

"You're awfully energetic today." She looked down at him. Her face turned blank when she saw the sheathed sword in his hand. "Saito, what is that?" Saito wasn't worried.

"Oh, this is just something for cosplay. I'm going to Akihabara." Saito's Father snickered, but said nothing. His Mother kissed his cheek.

"Well, my little warrior isn't winning any battles without eating breakfast." Saito smiled and sat in his chair where breakfast was waiting for him. After eating extremely quickly, (he had developed a voracious appetite during his time in Halkeginia) he bowed and ran out of the house. He rode his bike to Akihabara, cosplayer's heaven. He found a shop specializing in high end, metal cosplay costumes. He had a great time picking several outfits to take with him. He spent the entire day there, even forgetting to eat lunch. By the time he finished, it was already evening. He rode back home, tired and exauhsted. He didn't even bother getting his food from the microwave. He simply went up to his room, collapsed on his bed, and fell asleep.

He woke up once more in front of Gandalfr. The beast woke up again.

"How many times are you going to come here, Hiraga Saito?"

Saito looked confident. "I want you to teach me about the history of all of the Void Mage familiars known as Gandalfr."

The beast was silent for a while. It seemed to be seriously considering his words very carefully.

"You are not prepared. I will tell you in due time."

With that, it fell back asleep. Saito woke up in his bed, slightly disappointed. Derf was already unsheathed.

"Mornin', Partner."

Saito yawned and looked at the sword. He rubbed his eyes and got up.

"Morning, Derf."

"What do we do now, Partner?"

Saito thought for a moment. He would be leaving for Halkeginia in 5 days. He smiled at the thought of returning, but the smile disappeared shortly. He thought about his parents. About how worried they would be when he disappeared.

"I want to spend time with my family. My sister isn't in Tokyo, but at least I can spend time with my parents before I leave."

Derf agreed, admiring Saito's maturity.

"I'll stay asleep until the time comes. Live well, my friend."

Derf sheathed himself and fell into his long slumber. Saito got up and went down to his family, where he was met with a surprise. His sister, a tall, young looking girl with black hair and bright blue (nearly gray) eyes, greeted him.

"Saito! It's been too long! Well…I guess it's only been a month, but that's still too long!"

Saito smiled and gave his sister a tight hug. He hadn't realized just how much he missed her and loved her until she was right in front of him. After a while, she tried to push him off. Something strange to her since he was weaker than she was the last time they met, only 1 month ago. He was so strong, in fact, that it began to hurt her. Eventually, he realized what was happening and let go, embarrassed. She massaged her bruised ribs.

"I missed you too, Aisaka." He said as he rubbed the back of his head. Saito spent the next 5 days with his family. Attending to their every need and showing them an amount of love he had never shown before. Every night, he would have a short conversation with Gandalfr, although they were usually trivial and never answered his many questions.

On the 5th day, Saito got up at 6:00 AM. He put on the clothes he bought at Akihabara. His outfit consisted of black, slightly baggy pants tied on with a bright pink piece of cloth. He wore a long sleeved white shirt. Its collar was lined with bright blue highlights, as were the ends of its sleeves. A dark copper colored Samurai style vest covered it. The vest covered his chest, back, and stomach. Matching pieces of copper looking armor covered his shoulders and the sides of his waist. He wore black samurai shoes decorated with strips of bronze metal. He also had a bronze strap made for him that he could use to hang Derf from his back.

He looked at himself in his mirror, feeling proud. Derf popped from his sheath.

"Wow! You look fantastic, Partner! Now we both look cool, eh?"

Saito smiled. "Thanks, Derf. I got a special surprise for you too."

Saito went into his closet to fetch a new sheath. He had it made in Akihabara when he noticed that the sword's original sheath was torn and tattered. The new sheath was white with bronze lining the tip of the sheath as well as the sheath's opening.

Derf was silent for several moments. When he finally was able to speak, his voice sounded like he was about to cry.

"Saito, thank you so much! It is amazing! If I had eyes I would cry right now!"

Saito smiled and sheathed Derf. Derf was laughing happily, as it was an extremely comfortable sheath. Saito quietly left his room and closed the door behind him. He went to each of his family's room. He watched each of them sleep for a while before kissing their foreheads and leaving the house. He needed to wait until midday before the portal would open, so he went to a park to relax for a while. It would be six hours before the portal opened, so he slept there for five and a half hours. When he woke up, he ran to the location where his adventure began. People noticed him running. Of course they did, he was a young man dressed like an anime character running through the streets. He reached the location one minute before it would be time for the portal to open. He used this time to think about his family. About how he was about to leave again for another two and a half years. Just as he briefly considered not going, a bright light shone onto him, causing his eyes to close. When he opened them, there it was. The green, ovular portal that started it all. Derf unsheathed himself trying to offer Saito some comfort.

"Ready, Partner?"

Saito smiled and looked at his sword. "Ready."

He walked forward into the green light with a smile on his face. Ready for his adventure to begin again.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry it was so long, but that is the end of the "daily life" arc. I hope you enjoyed it. I probably made several errors and I am sure you will point them out to me. Again, please remember that this is my first fanfiction. I will improve. Remember to leave a review, guys. It really makes my day. Thanks for reading! Catch you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4: Coming Back Home

**Author's Notes:**

 **What's up guys? I'm back with the fourth chapter of this fanfiction. I have to admit, I'm pretty worried writing from this point onward. It'll be hard making the story good and interesting, since everything will have to be totally unique. I'll do my best. Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Enjoy chapter four!**

 **Chapter 4: Coming Back Home**

Saito opened his eyes. He inhaled and recognized the familiar smell of smoke. He couldn't see because the smoke was too thick. He stood up slowly, clutching Derflinger's hilt just in case something bad happened. When the smoke cleared, he saw several young people surrounding him wearing what appeared to be school uniforms. As he looked into the crowd, he saw several faces he recognized. Guiche, Kirche, Tabitha, Montmorency, among others. He wanted to say hi, but he realized that this probably wouldn't be the best decision. When he turned around, he found the face he recognized the most.

"Louise…" He said quietly without thinking. Luckily, it was too quiet for anyone to hear. He was in a trance, lost in thought as he looked at her face. After a few seconds, he snapped out of it. He got on one knee, put his hand on his heart, and bowed his towards Louise. He had earlier decided that it would be best to act as her familiar and tell her the truth later, once he had earned her trust. After all, going about it this way would save him several beatings with her whip.

He looked up at her face. He could see she was clearly disappointed to see him. It made his heart feel immense pain, but he didn't show it. He heard her argue with Colbert about having a plebian as a familiar.

"If you do not continue the ritual, you will be expelled." Colbert said.

Louise sighed and looked back at Saito. "You'd better be grateful. You'd normally never get this from an Aristocrat." Hearing this brought back memories for Saito. He smiled very slightly, knowing what was coming next.

Louise began chanting her spell. "Pentagon that governs the five powers, give this thing your blessing and make it my familiar spirit."

With that, she leaned in to give him a kiss. He had to stop himself from holding her and kissing her with all of his heart. She pecked his lips and pulled away, extremely embarrassed. Saito was feeling extremely happy. He savored the moment for several seconds. Sadly, his happiness was then shattered when his hand began to burn furiously. He was at first calm, believing it was simply the Gandalfr rune. However, something was different this time. His entire arm began to burn more painfully than when the rune first showed itself. The Gandalfr rune he already had began to glow bright red. Soon, strange marks started to appear all over his arm.

Colbert rushed to his side looking at his arm, confused. Saito tried to resist the pain, collapsing onto the ground, but it soon overcame him. Louise's worried face watching over him was the last thing he saw before drifting into unconsciousness.

Saito woke up in a bed. He recognized the room he was in as Louise's dorm room. When his eyes slowly cracked open, he saw a few faces he recognized around him. Osmond and Colbert were sitting on chairs next to him, with very serious expressions on their faces. Louise was asleep on a chair, her head laying on a desk. When they noticed he was awake, Colbert and Osmond looked at him.

"Don't try and move. You need to rest." Saito, regardless of their warnings, sat up. The entire left side of his body lit up in pain, particularly his arm. He looked down at his left arm. His face drained of all color when he saw it. It was wrapped in bandages that were stained with dark red spots. Osmond made him lay down.

"I told you not to move," said Osmond. "You gave us quite a scare."

Saito looked at Osmond. "What happened? I can't remember."

Osmond sighed and produced a pipe from his cloak, lighting it with a match. "You completed your contract with that girl. When that happened, you suddenly cried out in pain. Strange runes appeared all over that arm. It was burnt quite badly." He took a puff of his pipe, creating a circle of smoke. "I suggest you stay there and rest for a while. I'll be checking in on you personally for a while."

Saito sighed and smiled. "Thank you, Osmond." Osmond raised an eyebrow. "And how, may I ask, do you know my name?"

"Shit!" Saito thought to himself. He simply remained silent as a sort of defense mechanism. Osmond looked at him very closely. After a little moment, he simply smiled. "I jest! Get some sleep, dear boy." He and Colbert left the room, closing the door behind them. Only Louise and Saito were left there. He watched her sleep. He wanted to get up and hug her, but he could barely move. He simply let her sleep and thought about his situation. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a voice next to him.

"Hey, Partner! You okay?" Saito slowly looked to his left. Derf was there leaning on the wall. "Partner! You scared me! Thank god you're alive!" Saito smiled weakly.

"It's not like you to be worried, Derf. But thanks anyway." Saito looked back at Louise. She had begun to wake up, so Derf sheathed himself, ending their conversation. Louise looked at Saito, her face filled with a mix of worry and anger. She didn't say anything, instead just leaving the room with an angered expression on her face. This gave Saito a chance to continue his conversation with Derf.

"Hey, Derf. What do you think happened? My arm…my body. Why did this happen?"

Derf unsheathed himself and thought for a few minutes. "I don't know for sure, but it may have something to do with your possession of the Gandalfr rune before coming here. When you sealed your contract with Louise, it had a reaction with the preexisting Gandalfr power, leaving you…the way you are."

Saito looked at Derf. "The way I am? You mean my arm?" Derf was silent for a moment before answering.

"Mostly your arm. It's not important, just cosmetic. More importantly, how are you going to fight in your condition? There is no one around right now that can heal these wounds. The nature of the wound is strange. Something these mages haven't seen before. You'll have to wait for it to heal."

Saito sighed. He wanted to argue, but didn't have the energy to do so. Besides that, Louise had come back to the room, forcing Derf to sheathe himself. She was carrying a tray of food and water. She set the tray on the bed. She put some of the food on the spoon and then looked directly at Saito.

"Open."

Saito was confused. "Open? What do you mean?"

Louise looked frustrated. "Open your mouth!"

Saito complied out of fear. She put the spoon in his mouth, feeding him. Saito was surprised. He remembered that even though Louise had never liked him when they first met, she always went to great lengths to take care of him. She sat there for several minutes, feeding him until the food on the plate was gone. She put the cup of water up to his mouth, letting him sip it slowly. When he was done, he tried to get up to take the tray away, but Louise forced him back into bed. She got up without saying anything, taking the tray away. She came back a few minutes later holding a towel.

She pointed her wand at him. "Léviter." When she uttered this spell, Saito began to float out of bed. She made him float into her bathroom. She set him down in the bathtub, making Saito feel uncomfortable. She began to undress him, which he tried to protest to, but was in too much pain to stop her. She was shocked when she saw his body. He was, of course, somewhat muscular from all of his previous battles. This, however, was not what she was surprised about. His body was riddled with scars. He looked as if he had been cut by swords and pierced by arrows multiple times, which of course, he had. He saw her face turn into a sad one, which made him feel terrible. She began to wash him slowly, doing her best not to aggravate his already painful body. He was touched by this act of kindness, but remained quiet.

When she was finished, she dried him off with the towel she had brought with her. She dressed him in new pajamas, which she had borrowed from one of the men who worked in the kitchen. She levitated him back to the bed and covered him with her blanket. She then sat on her desk and began to drift into sleep, but not before shooting Saito an angry look. Saito did not like this, obviously. But he was in such immense pain, that he decided to ignore it. He got out of bed and walked slowly to where she was sleeping. He picked her up slowly and laid her in her bed. He then sat on the layer of hay on the floor next to the mattress. This much movement had caused his arm to start bleeding again. Derf watched him in silence, feeling immense pride from being able to call Saito his partner. Saito slowly fell asleep, doing his best to ignore the pain.

He suddenly woke up in front of Gandalfr's gate. He wasn't in any pain. He looked into the dark where a large, orange, glowing pair of eyes met his. Saito sat in front of the gate trying to think of what to ask, but Gandalfr spoke first.

"You're wondering what happened to your arm, I presume?"

Saito nodded. "I've never felt pain like that before. Do you know what happened?"

The being sighed and thought for a while. "I know what _could_ have happened. However, it is only a theory. I don't know for sure, since this has never happened before. It seems that your body was injured due to trying to accept a _second_ Gandalfr. Another me, so to speak. However, two of myself can never exist at once. It is the nature of my being, so perhaps…" Gandalfr stopped there, looking directly at Saito.

Saito was confused. "Perhaps what?"

The being continued. "Perhaps you have absorbed the other me. However, this is strictly just a theory. I doubt it actually happened. No human's body can contain me."

Saito, still confused, looked up at Gandalfr's eyes. "But…aren't you already contained within me?"

Gandalfr responded quickly, as if his pride was hurt by that question. "No! I am contained within a separate space. You simply have access to my realm."

Saito nodded, finally beginning to grasp the being's explanation. "How long will it take for me to heal?" Gandalfr was silent for a few seconds, pondering the question. "If my theory I told you is correct, then it would mean you are no longer entirely human. It should not take long. Perhaps a month for it to heal entirely." Saito sighed. He didn't want to be bedridden for a month, but it seems he had no other options. He got up and bowed to Gandalfr.

"Thank you very much." With that, he woke up. He was where he had fallen asleep, on the ground next to Louise's bed. It was early in the morning, before the sun had risen. He looked at his left arm. A large pool of blood had formed next to it. It did appear, however, that the bleeding had stopped. Feeling very weak from the blood loss, he slowly got up and sat on a chair. He decided to watch Louise sleep until she woke up.

About 2 hours later, Louise slowly woke up. She was wondering why she was in her bed, clearly remembering falling asleep sitting on a chair. She looked at her desk, where she saw Saito. He was as pale as a ghost, but was smiling whole-heartedly.

"Good morning, Louise." He said, very weakly.

It took her a few moments to understand what was happening. It finally dawned on her when she got out of bed and stepped on something wet. She thought it was water, but when she looked down, she saw the pool of blood caused by Saito's wounded arm. She was now completely awake and remembered everything like it had just happened. She immediately looked at Saito. He was no longer smiling, but was instead pale with the bandages on his arm soaked in red liquid.

She immediately ran over to him. She levitated him back to her bed, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"What were you thinking?!" she yelled, "You know you're injured! You should have stayed in bed!"

He didn't have the energy to say anything. As Louise was desperately trying to hold her tears back, Osmond walked into the room. He was reading a book. When he looked up, the book slid from his hands. He ran to Saito side and undid his bandages. Saito managed to catch a glimpse of his arm for the first time. It was completely burnt, even charred black in some places. Wherever he wasnt burnt, several gashes could clearly be seen bleeding. On top of that, several glowing, pink runes wrapped around it. The sight nearly made him sick.

Osmond rewrapped his wound, clearly frustrated with Saito's stubbornness. However, when he spoke, he was gentle with Saito. "I told you not to move, young man. We can't take anymore scares." He finished wrapping Saito's arm and then sat back in his chair. "Now, foforgive me for being so sudden, but this matter is of utmost importance. Tell me, who are you? Where are you from? And…" he looked at Saito's arm "why, before arriving here, did you possess a Gandalfr rune?"

Saito hadn't expected the last question. He would have to find a way to lie, but he knew how attentive Osmond was. He was also aware of how bad of a liar he was. He decided it would be best to tell Osmond the truth. He looked at Louise and then back at Osmond. He motioned Osmond to come closer.

"Please ask Louise to leave." he whispered. "She cannot hear this." Osmond was not hesitant. He looked at Louise.

"Ms. Valliére, I hate having to ask this of you, but I will need you to leave me alone with your familiar for just a little while whilst we have a small discussion. I hope you don't mind."

Louise wanted to argue, but Osmond looked extremely serious. She hesitantly left the room, leaving Saito with Osmond. Osmond turned back towards Saito.

"You were saying, young man?"

Saito took a deep breath. "Right...My name is Saito. Hiraga Saito…"

 **Author's notes:**

 **Well, that was chapter 4. I'm sorry it wasn't action packed. I know you guys must be getting really bored. Please, leave a review and tell me where I can improve. Also, give suggestion for what you guys might want to see. Full disclosure though, Saito will end up with Louise. I will not deviate from that. Sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Loss of One's Love

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey there guys! This will be my second chapter of the day. I hope you like it! Please tell me your thoughts in reviews! I don't really care about the bragging rights of having lots of reviews, I just want to make you guys have the best reading experience possible. Thanks in advance! I hope you enjoy Chapter 5!**

 **Chapter 5: The Loss of One's Love**

Saito had just finished explaining his story to Osmond. He explained nearly everything. The only details he left out were Derf's existence and his meeting with the being called Gandalfr.

"Osmond, sir. I really need you to keep this a secret."

Osmond sighed while holding his chin. "I'm sorry, Saito, but I can't. The Queen, no, every leader has to know about this. The world is at stake and we need to prepare." He was about to get up to leave, but Saito stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"Wait…if you have to tell them, at least do me one favor. Please, keep it away from Louise. I can't stand to be without her. If she hears this, we may never be together."

Osmond sympathized with Saito, but remained resolute. "I'm sorry, but she has to know too. She is a Void Mage after all." He saw Saito begin to emotionally collapse, so he decided to do him a favor. "If she means anything at all to you, then you should be the one to tell her. I won't tell her anything, but I will not keep the truth from her. If she happens to be told the truth, I will not interfere." With that, he left the room, allowing Louise to go back inside.

She looked at Saito, noticing his rather dejected mood. "What happened?" she asked. Saito didn't look into her eyes. If he did, he would be unable to hold his tears back any longer. Louise however, was not happy with his response. She forced his head to face her.

"Tell me what you spoke to Osmond about!"

Saito's eyes began to tear up before he was finally able to speak.

"It was nothing. He wanted to ask me about my arm. Just to see if I was healing." He gave a very slight reassuring smile. She wasn't entirely convinced, but decided that he needs to heal before she could interrogate any further. She got up and put her Aristocrat cloak on.

"I'm going to buy you some medicine. Stay put." Before she could leave, Saito raised his voice.

"Louise! Wait…" He gestured for her to come closer to him. When she was an arm's length away, he quickly grabbed her by her shirt and kissed her. He had wanted to kiss her ever since he arrived in Halkeginia, but no longer had the energy to restrain himself. He pulled away and laid back in bed. He couldn't sit up for long because of how much pain he was in. Louise was in a daze, having not recovered from the shock of what happened. By the time she came to her senses and was about to yell at Saito, he was already peacefully asleep. She couldn't help but feel happy that he didn't seem to be in pain anymore. She left him in the room asleep as she went to buy medicine.

In the Imperial Palace, Queen Marianne was mourning the loss of her husband. Try as she might Henrietta could not help her feel any better, so she decided to go back to her room. As she was walking through the hallways, she spotted Osmond walking towards her in a hurry. She politely greeted him.

"Hello, Osmond. How are you?"

Osmond was in a hurry. "I'm afraid I don't have time to make small talk. I need to speak with your mother in private."

Henrietta looked sad. Her mother had given up on being Queen, effectively making Henrietta the Queen of Tristain in her absence. Henrietta stopped Osmond.

"I am currently the effective Queen of Tristain. If you have something to tell her, please tell me instead."

Osmond was skeptical, but complied. He sat Henrietta down and began retelling the story Saito had told him a few hours prior. Henrietta's face slowly went from intrigued to frightened. By the time Osmond had finished, she was in complete shock.

Osmond took no notice of this. "In conclusion, I believe we need to prepare our armies for the foes that are sure to come. Please inform Germania as soon as possible. They are our most powerful ally after all."

When he finished, Henrietta took a deep breath. "I'm going to go and visit Louise." Osmond nodded. He understood that Louise and Henrietta were best friends, so it wasn't a problem for him. Before she set off, he stopped her to say one last thing.

"When questioning the boy, be more thorough than I was. He is hiding something. That is not to say you should be harsh. Indeed, you must tread carefully." She nodded and went on her way. She had sent a messenger to inform Agnès that she was to call for a meeting between Henrietta and the rest of Tristain's allies.

 **In Louise's room**

Saito woke up. He looked around, noticing that Louise was not there. He then remembered what he had done the previous night. The thought of himself suddenly kissing her made him bury his face in his palms. He looked at his sword, hoping for someone to talk to.

"Hey, Derf. You didn't see what I did yesterday, right?" Derf spoke up in a rather tired voice.

"What are you talking about? I've been asleep the whole time. Something I should know?" Saito shook his head. "Nah, nothing." He was relieved. Derf had made himself fall asleep, not wanting to risk being found. Saito turned his body, trying to stretch his back. He was surprised to find that his body wasn't in pain anymore. At the very least, it was quite stiff, but there was no sign that he had such a massive injury on his arm.

He got up and walked to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. At first, everything seemed fine. He then noticed that something about himself was off. He looked at his face more carefully. He was shocked to discover that his left eye's iris had turned from blue, to an extremely vivid, solid, bright orange. It was almost as if it was glowing. He was confused, but did not panic. He tried his best to convince himself that it was random and purely cosmetic. He just told himself that it looked cool and brushed it off. He then turned his attention to his arm. Since he wasn't feeling any pain, he decided to unwrap the bandages. He slowly removed them, preparing his stomach for the disgusting sight he was going to see.

When they were finally removed, he looked at it in the mirror. His arm had seemingly made a full recovery. There were several scars spread over it. Some looked like wounds made by swords, others looked like burn wounds that still needed a bit of treatment. The most outstanding sight, however, were the glowing reddish-pink runes wrapping around his entire arm. He wasn't sure what they said or what they meant. However, he decided that it would be best if people didn't see them. He looked through Louise's cabinets until he found bandages.

He tried to wrap his arm himself, but he was absolute rubbish at doing anything even vaguely associated with medical care. As he kept trying to tie the bandage around his arm, there was a knock on the door. Before he could tell the person not to come in, the door opened. He only barely managed to hide his arm in time.

Through the door came Henrietta. She was expecting to see Louise, but instead found Saito half naked, trying his best to hide his arm. She looked at him with a blank face. After a few moments of silence Saito got out of bed, making sure to keep his arm hidden with a blanket, and bowed on one knee.

"Hiraga Saito, at your service, Your Majesty." Henrietta stared at him for a few moments. She then gestured for her guards to wait outside. She walked behind Saito and sat on Louise's bed. Saito did not respond to this, and simply remained bowing in the same direction, acting as properly as he could. Henrietta sighed before speaking to Saito.

"You may rise, Mr. Hiraga." Saito got up and turned around, making sure not to make eye contact with Henrietta. She patted the bed next to her, wanting Saito to sit down. He sat next to her, filled with fear. He knew that she was there to ask him questions. She began first with the most obvious question.

"Why do you keep your arm covered with a sheet? Was it not bandaged?" Saito was quiet for a few seconds.

"I took them off to inspect my arm, but did not have the time to put new ones on. I do not believe it is proper for Her Majesty's eyes to see such a gruesome wound." This was the best lie he had ever told in his life. In fact, it was probably the best lie told in the history of humankind. Henrietta seemed to be satisfied with his answer, so moved on to other questions.

"I have been told the truth by Osmond. About where you're from and the situation you're in. So tell me, if you woke up back home with the chance to live your life normally, why did you choose to come back here? You know that war will come to this place and you know that there is a possibility of dying. So why?"

Saito wasn't sure how to respond. He technically didn't know Henrietta, so he didn't want to discuss his emotions so freely with her. Luckily, before he could answer, Louise came back into the room. When she noticed Henrietta sitting next to Saito, her face turned red with anger. She grabbed her riding crop and hit Saito over the head.

"How dare you sit so casually with the Princess!" Henrietta was extremely embarrassed to have to witness this. However, in his desperate but futile efforts to shield his head from further attacks, the sheet he was using to cover his arm slid off, revealing his many scars and, more importantly, glowing runes that covered every inch of his arm. Henrietta's eyes widened. She was not very accustomed to magic, but even she knew that something was strange. Louise stopped hitting Saito, trying to examine the rune. She looked in all of her textbooks for something similar, but there was reference to anything even vaguely similar. Henrietta decided to rewrap his arm.

"If what you say is true, then there are people who may want to harm Louise. Since they are not aware of her status as a Void Mage yet, or of your status as Gandalfr, I think it is best to keep this a secret."

She finished wrapping his arm and then turned towards Louise. Her demeanor suddenly changed from a very respectable aristocratic woman, to a young child excited to see her best friend. She lunged at Louise, holding her in a tight hug.

"Louise! It's been too long!" Louise smiled and hugged her back. "It's good to see you princess. You've certainly grown a lot." Louise said while looking at Henrietta's chest. She then looked at her own, momentarily becoming depressed at her breast's state of near non-existence. Henrietta chuckled, trying to comfort her.

"Any good man will love you for who you are." She glanced at Saito when she said this, making him turn very red. "Does she know? Impossible!" he thought. Henrietta and Louise played together for a few hours, seemingly forgetting that Saito was there. When the time came for Henrietta to leave, she gave Louise a big hug. Henrietta did not have the courage to tell Louise about the trials that were to come.

"I have to go now Louise. I'm sorry! I'll visit again soon!" Louise hugged her for several seconds before bowing.

"I look forward to it Your Majesty."

Henrietta was about to leave, but then walked back towards Saito. She went close to his ear and whispered.

"Take care of her, Saito. She'll fall for you in no time. Don't give up!"

Saito was taken aback. "What?!" Before he could even respond, Henrietta skipped out of the room and left the school. When Louise was sure Henrietta was gone, she locked the door and walked towards Saito, a dark aura surrounding her.

"So", she said calmly, "what did she tell you just now?"

Fear shot across Saito's face. Should he lie or tell the truth? He looked up at her.

"She told me that is my duty to protect you, as your familiar. Nothing special." Louise was not convinced.

"Until you tell me the truth, no supper for you!" She left her room, leaving Saito both depressed and relieved. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. Saito was quiet for a moment, then responded "Come in!". It was someone he did not expect to see, nor did he want to.

"Hello there, sir." the woman stated, "My name is Ms. Longueville."

Saito was on edge. He knew exactly how dangerous this situation was. Although somewhat healed, he was in no condition to fight. She sat next to him.

"I heard snippets of what Osmond said whilst he was in this room." She turned to look at him. "Ms. Vallière is quite the special girl isn't she?" Saito couldn't do anything. He knew she was a bad person, but without any proof of this, he couldn't attack her. Besides that, his body wasn't ready either. She smiled at him. It was almost as if she knew what he was thinking. She got up and began to leave the room. As she was leaving, Louise came back to the room holding a glass of water. Longueville patted her head, smiling at Saito as she did so. When she left, Louise looked at Saito. She could see a range of emotions on his face. Fear, hatred, sadness. He didn't say anything to her. He simply laid down on her bed and closed his eyes. Louise didn't bother him, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his emotions. After a few minutes he fell asleep.

He woke up in front of Gandalfr's gate. The creature was already staring at him. Saito looked up at it.

"What should I do?" They were the only words Saito could think of.

Gandalfr was quiet for a while, finally speaking after several seconds.

"The girl does not have the power to protect herself yet, so you, as the one they call Gandalfr, must be her shield. Take whatever steps you must to keep her safe, although I do not understand why you put her life in front of your own."

Saito sighed, "We humans have this thing called love. It's really stupid, but I don't care. I'm sure you've felt it before, haven't you?"

Gandalfr was quiet. His eyes narrowed as he looked down, reminiscing about something. "Perhaps." He said.

Saito smiled. He was starting to view Gandalfr more as a person than as an entity. However, as Saito was about to reply, his heart began to hurt. The pain was excruciating. He then began to cough up blood. Gandalfr spoke to him quickly. A great amount of urgency could be heard in his voice.

"Wake up, boy!"

Saito eyes shot open. He got up just in time to see a figure jumping out of the window, holding an unconscious Louise. He tried to get up to go and stop them, but felt a sharp pain in his chest. He began to cough. Large amounts of blood came up whenever he did so. He looked down at his chest, and it was there that he saw the source of his pain. A dagger had been shoved into his heart. He slowly but frantically crawled off of the bed and out of the room.

He made it into the hallway, but couldn't move any further. After a short time, he began to feel cold. He soon stopped feeling any pain as he fell unconscious.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well, that was not easy to write. I have a feeling that it was a subpar chapter, and for that, I apologize. Either way, please leave a review. It really helps me know where I have to improve and what you guys would like to see. I may post another chapter later today. Maybe two! We'll have to wait and see. Anyway, thanks for reading guys!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Loss of One's Love II

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey! How's it going guys? I hope you liked the last chapter. Looks like we're finally going to be getting some action. It wasn't easy to write, but it was completely worth it. Now, to continue the story in chapter 6. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6: The Loss of One's Love Part Two**

Louise woke up in a dark jail cell. The floor was wet from the water dripping from the ceiling. There was a cold gust of wind coming from the barred window. It was then she realized that she had no clothes. She was extremely cold, so she curled up in a corner, wrapping her long hair around herself. She heard footsteps walking towards the door. The door opened to reveal a man in his 50's. He had long, blonde hair and a somewhat crazed expression on his face.

"Hello, Void Mage."

Louise was confused.

"Void Mage?"

The man smiled and walked closer to her, making her feel more uncomfortable than she already was. "Indeed. I never thought I'd find you. Luckily, Matilda has proven herself competent."

Louise yelled at him, frightened. "Who are you?! What do you want from me?!"

He stroked her hair slowly. "As for who, my name is Oliver Cromwell. You're going to help me with something, little girl."

With that, he left the room, locking the door behind him. Louise began to cry, hoping for someone to come and save her.

 **The Tristain Academy of Magic**

Kirche got up in the middle of the night, only able to become half-asleep. She put on her nightgown and decided to go to the kitchen for some wine. She walked out of her room, closing the door behind her. She walked down the hallway, still half asleep and having no knowledge of what had happened to Louise. As she walked past her room, she tripped over something and fell into a pool of wet liquid. She looked at her hands, which were now soaked in this red liquid. Still half asleep, she smiled.

"Ah, that Zero Louise spilled wine in front of her room. What an idiot."

She licked the liquid, but then immediately spit it out. She knew the taste, but couldn't put her finger on it. After examining the taste for a few more seconds, she realized that it tasted just like blood. She was now fully awake. She looked down at her soaked night gown. There, she saw the source of the pool of blood. The object that she tripped over. Saito was on the ground, unconscious, bleeding profusely from his chest. Kirche began to panic even more as she saw the dagger in his chest. It was moving rhythmically, as it had pierced Saito's heart. Every time his heart beat, the dagger would move.

Kirche let out a deafening shriek. Everyone in her tower woke up. Montmorency was the first one to arrive. Her face turned pale when she saw Saito on the ground. Guiche came next. He was shocked and nearly threw up. They had no idea what they should do. Eventually, after a few seconds, Tabitha arrived. She had apparently been fast asleep, as her hair was matted on one side of her head. She remained calm and looked at Kirche.

"Must be taken to infirmary. Help."

Tabitha went to a window and whistled. Within a few moments, Sylphid arrived from seemingly nowhere. They all helped Tabitha lift Saito onto the dragon. They flew quickly towards the infirmary, where they ran towards the nearest open door. A group of doctors who were in the room turned around, wondering what the commotion was. They turned pale when they saw the kids carrying Saito, who was slowly becoming paler and paler. They immediately put him on an operating table. Tabitha, who was quite knowledgeable about medicinal use of magic, spoke first.

"Need to remove blade. Sew heart shut. Must stop bleeding."

The medicinal mages, who were surprised that she had such knowledge, proceeded carefully. One held the blade while the other prepared to sew his heart. In an instant, they pulled they pulled the blade from his chest and began sewing his heart. The sowing did not take long, perhaps 30 minutes. However, when they were done, his heart still bled a little from the wound. Tabitha looked at kirche.

"Must cauterize the wound."

Kirche was confused.

"What does that mean?"

The doctors looked at her and spoke with urgency. "You have to burn the wound shut. Sewing it wasn't enough."

Kirche became scared. "But, I haven't learned to control my fire magic well enough."

Tabitha slapped her. This was the most shocking thing to Kirche. Tabitha had never been one to be excitable. When she spoke however, she was her usual self.

"No time to think."

Kirche took a deep breath and pulled out her wand. After a short while, a small white flame appeared on the tip of her wand. She slowly burned the wound for a few seconds. When she moved away, it had stopped bleeding. Everyone in the room was relieved. They began to sew shut the cut in his chest. When they were done, they laid him down in a bed and gathered around a table to discuss.

Guiche began to talk first. "Who could have possibly done this and…why?"

Kirche looked at him seriously. "I think it was Louise."

Everyone looked at her in shock. Everyone but Tabitha, who was reading a book. Kirche looked at everyone there. The group had grown to include Malicorne and Reynald, who had rushed to the infirmary when they spotted the group fly towards the infirmary. Kirche continued her theory. "Don't you find it strange that she is nowhere to be found? Not to mention how disappointed she was that she got a Pleb as a familiar. And she is, of course, a Vallière. Her pride as an aristocrat was probably hurt beyond belief by summoning a Pleb."

They all nodded, seemingly in agreement. Tabitha however looked at them all. It was the only time any of them had ever seen Tabitha show an emotion even close to anger, let alone outright hatred as she was showing now.

"You're wrong." She said calmly, "Louise innocent."

Kirche looked at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?! All of the signs point to her!"

Tabitha shook her head and held up the dagger. The hilt was soaked with blood, but that is not what Tabitha wanted to draw their attention to. Stuck by blood to the hilt, was a green strand of hair. Tabitha put the dagger on the table. No one at the table understood why that was important. Tabitha pointed her staff at the strand of hair and uttered a spell.

"Ad quem haec pertinent?"

Her staff began to glow. After a few seconds, a circle of light appeared in the air. As everyone looked through it, they saw Ms. Longueville sitting at her desk. The circle soon disappeared. Kirche looked at Tabitha.

"What was that?"

Tabitha sat down and began reading her book. "Longueville guilty." Those were her only words for a few seconds. She then looked back at Kirche.

"Cannot do anything until Osmond comes back. Going back to my room." With that, she left the infirmary and flew back to her room. The rest of them sat around Saito in silence. After a few minutes, they were about to leave. However, Saito's runes suddenly began to glow brightly. The wound on his chest began to hiss as if it burning. Steam began to rise from the cut. The group didn't know what to do, so they just waited to see what would happen. After a while, the runes went back to their normal, dull glowing. The wound on his chest stopped steaming. They noticed that color was slowly coming back to his face.

After about an hour, Saito's eyes slowly cracked open. He wasn't sure what happened. He looked around to see the overjoyed faces of Kirche and Montmorency. Guiche and Malicorne had gone to get drinks for them. They both hugged him, laughing with joy that he was alive. Odd behavior, considering how they looked down on Plebians. However, Saito didn't have time to think about that. Their hugs were causing him quite a large amount of pain. They let go, apologizing. Saito was the first to start talking more seriously.

"What happened? I don't remember anything."

Kirche stopped laughing. "I woke up and found you lying on the ground in a pool of blood. There was a dagger in your chest." She had a hard time saying this. The very thought of what had happened made her sick to her stomach. She continued her story with caution, not knowing how he would react to what she was about to say. "Louise…was no where to be found."

Saito's eyes widened. All of the memories about last night came rushing back to him. He immediately got up and tried to run to Louise's room. He collapsed on the ground in pain, but he got up again, limping towards the infirmary's exit. Guiche and Malicorne saw him on his way out. They put his arms around their shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Guiche asked.

Saito looked into Guiche's eyes. "I'm going to save Louise."

Guiche wanted to argue, but he could see the determination in Saito's eyes. He summoned one of his flower petal knights to carry Saito to Louise's room. Once there, Saito put on his 'armor' and put Derf on his back. Kirche and Montmorency arrived at Louise's room with Tabitha, who seemed angry that she had been woken up again. Saito looked at all of them. "I need you guys to come with me. I'm going to deal with Longueville."

Tabitha nodded and called Sylphid. Kirche was confused.

"I thought you said we couldn't do anything until old man Osmond came back!" Tabitha blushed very lightly. She glanced at Saito and then back at Kirche.

"Louise in danger. More important to save her." Kirche noticed her glance, but said nothing. Sylphid arrived in a few moments. They flew to Osmond's window and jumped into his room. Longueville was looking through books on her books. She smiled at the group, particularly at Saito.

"Ah, what are you guys doing here so late?"

Saito did not respond to this question. He pulled Derf from his sheathe and pointed him at her.

"Where is Louise?!" It was all he said. His runes had begun to glow as he held Derf. Longueville was quiet for a moment, but then began to laugh.

"You are one strange Plebian. I thought that wound would have killed you. As for the girl, she will be used to bring a revolution to th-" Before she could finish, Saito had appeared directly in front of her in the blink of an eye. He pinned her to the wall and pressed Derf to her throat.

"I did not ask why you took her. I already know that. I asked where she is." His left eye seemingly began to glow. The runes on his arm glowed brightly, shining through the sleeve of his shirt. Longueville was began to laugh.

"You think a boy like yourself is enough to threaten me? Don't make me la-" She let out a scream as Saito broke her hand with his left arm. It was extremely easy for him, like crushing plastic bottle. He looked at her in the eyes again.

"You're going to tell me where she is, or I kill you." She knew he was serious. As much as she was a member of Reconquista, she valued her life more than her ideals. Kirche, Montmorency, Guiche, Malicorne, and even Tabitha watched on with fear written on their faces. They had never thought Saito was capable of anything close to that. He dragged Longueville onto Sylphid and then looked at the rest of them, who were staring at him in shock.

"Let's go." As he said this, they all ran onto Sylphid. Saito, why holding her hands behind her back, looked at Longueville. "Lead the way." He said, coldly. When she told them which way to go, the dragon began to fly.

 **In Louise's jail cell**

Louise was cold, tired, hungry, thirsty, and above all, scared. She had never been in such a vile and humiliating environment. The only form of clothing she had was a dirty bedsheet that one of the guards was kind enough to give her. She had already been in there for several hours. As she stared out of the window, she heard the door behind her open. Two guards grabbed her, blindfolded her, and dragged her down a long corridor. After a few minutes, she was forced into a wooden chair. Her arms and legs were held in place by leather straps and her blindfold was removed.

When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that she was in a small room. In front of her was a table with a variety of tools she had never seen before. Cromwell walked into the room in a lab coat.

"Impressed? These are tools we found in a small village somewhere in Tristain. Matilda was very helpful in retrieving them."

He pulled a chair behind the table and sat on it, looking directly at Louise.

"You see, we need not be enemies. Within you, lies the power we need to bring order to Albion, and then the world. All we need you to do is comply with us, and no harm will come to you." Louise said nothing, simply staring at him with anger in her eyes. He continued his speech, smiling at her.

"Forgive me. I suppose I have not explained who _we_ are have I? We call ourselves Reconquista. As you may be able to tell from the name, our mission is quite simple. We want to rid the world of its corrupt nobles and rebuild it…from the ground up. We need your power to do so. One of our spies, Matilda, tells us that you are actually a Void Mage. That would explain your inability to use other forms of magic. Matilda also told us of the nature of your magic. Unfortunately, it seems that you require some sort of emotional stimulus for it to activate. Now, we don't have anything of that sort, but…" He looked at the table of tools, knives, and other objects pulled from Siesta's village "…we have other forms of stimuli that may suffice."

Two other men wearing masks entered the room, shutting the door behind them. Louise's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen to her. Her eyes began overflowing with tears as she begged someone to save her.

 **Elsewhere in Halkeginia**

Saito was wide awake on Sylphid's back. His heart was aching. Not from the stab wound he received earlier, which seemed to have nearly healed completely, but from his sheer amount of worry about Louise. Everyone else had decided at various points in time to get some rest during the long trip to Albion. Kirche woke up, noticing that Saito was awake, staring at the night sky. She poked his back lightly to get his attention.

"You should get some rest. You don't want to be tired if we end up having to fight." Saito was quiet, but after a few minutes, sighed and looked at her.

"You're right." He said. She patted her legs, telling Saito to use them as a pillow. Not a single perverted thought crossed his mind, as he could only think of Louise. Just as he was about to set his head down, his left eye began to burn, making him yell in pain. Everyone woke up when they heard him.

"What's wrong?!" Guiche asked.

When Saito managed to open his eyes for a few brief seconds, he saw horrifying images. He saw Louise being tortured in ways he had only read about in fiction books or watched in anime. He heard her call for someone to help her. He reached his hand out to her, but couldn't touch her. He shook his head frantically, trying to make the images go away. When they finally did, he was in tears. No one else was able to see his visions. They all simply looked on in confusion, even Longueville. He looked at Tabitha.

"Tell Sylphid to go faster!" Tabitha hesitated, but then complied.

Saito looked up at the pink and blue moons, reaching his hand into the sky as if he was trying to hold them.

"I'm coming Louise, just hold on for a little longer."

 **Author's notes:**

 **Okay, that became really dark, really fast. I hope you guys liked it. As I always say (it's probably getting annoying now huh?), please leave a review and tell me what you guys think and what you'd like to see in the future. Also, sorry this came out a bit late. Life got in the way. You know how it is. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Loss of One's Love III

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for posting Chapter 6 so late last night. I had life stuff to do. I hope you understand. I'm glad to be getting some positive feedback in reviews. I really appreciate it. Now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, enjoy reading Chapter 7! Thank You!**

 **Chapter 7: The Loss of One's Love III**

Everyone who was on Sylphid was asleep. Everyone but Saito. He was reminiscing about what he saw a few hours prior. It began to bring him to tears. As he began to cry, Derf unsheathed himself.

"You okay, Partner?"

Saito was silent for a while. When he finally spoke, his voice was shaky and filled with grief.

"She's hurting, Derf. She's in so much pain. I failed. I failed as her familiar. As someone who promised to protect her. As someone who said I loved her."

He held curled into a ball, holding his knees in his arms. He barely had the will to fight anymore. He wondered if coming back to Halkeginia was a mistake, after all.

"You idiot." Derf said calmly, shocking Saito. "It's because you love her that you haven't failed. You've saved her multiple times, but all she ever did was treat you like a dog. But even through all of that, as well as the threat of going through it all again, you still love her. You still cry when she's hurt. You will only fail when if those feelings disappear because if they do, you'll never be able to save her again."

Saito took a deep breath and wiped his tears away. "Thank you, Derf. You're right. When all this is over and we save her, I'll tell her that I love her…again." He chuckled at the thought. Kirche, pretending to be asleep, overheard the whole conversation. She felt somewhat sad when she heard Saito confess his feelings for Louise, but chose to ignore it. After a few minutes, Sylphid let out a cry. Tabitha woke up and looked below them.

"Arrived."

Saito looked beneath them and saw a massive city that he recognized as Albion's capital, Londinium.

"Get me closer to the ground." Saito said. Tabitha took them to a place they wouldn't be seen, just outside of the city. When they landed, Saito grabbed Longueville, forcing her to walk.

"We're stopping by the Royal Palace." He told everyone. They walked into the city, making sure to take back alleys to avoid being seen. Suspicion would be raised if they were seen taking a prisoner through the streets. It took them several hours of sneaking, but they finally reached the rear wall of the Palace. It was at least 20 feet high. It was nearly dawn, so Saito wanted to make sure he was in the Palace by daybreak.

He shoved his fingers into the wall, cracking it and allowing for a place for the rest of the group to grab onto when they were climbing. Guiche and Malicorne were in awe at Saito's abundance of strength. He himself wasn't sure why he was this strong, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. When they reached the massive door into the Palace, two guards spotted him.

"Oi! You the-" In an instant, Saito had rushed to them and knocked them out. He quickly apologized, the heaved the gargantuan doors open, running into the Palace. They followed him through the many corridors of the Palace. Even though he was carrying Longueville, they could hardly keep up with him. He eventually stopped in front of a massive door. It was decorated with many jewels and pieces of gold. In the center, was a massive slab of marble with the Albion Coat of Arms engraved into it.

"Saito, what are we here for? Do you know how illegal this is?!" Montmorency said, feeling afraid of the possible repercussions. Saito didn't respond to her. He slowly pushed one of the doors open and peeked inside. There, he saw Prince Wales sipping tea. He looked like he had just woken up. Saito, without fear, walked into the room, startling Wales.

"Who are you?" He asked, expecting him to be an assassin.

"My name is Hiraga Saito. This woman will tell you what you need to know." He threw Longueville onto the ground. "Speak." She looked at him with hatred and then turned back towards Prince Wales, beginning to explain Reconquista and some of their plans, with Saito listening closely to fact-check.

After nearly 2 hours of explanation, she was finished. Wales looked at Saito, who was leaning on a wall and having a casual conversation with Derf as he waited.

"Mr. Hiraga."

Saito looked at Wales. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

Wales smiled "There is no need to be so formal. It seems you may have just single handedly saved my life. For that, I am forever grateful. As for Reconquista, I will assemble my armies. Until then, let's all relax. Would you like some food?"

Saito, who realized he hadn't eaten in nearly a day, happily nodded, as did the rest of his group. As they sat, gorging themselves on delicious food, Kirche seemed dejected. She was staring at Saito, who was laughing happily while having a conversation with Wales about his battles. Tabitha poked Kirche, surprising her.

"What is wrong, Kirche?"

Kirche shook her head "Nothing at all. Why?"

Tabitha looked back at her plate of food. "Saito is taken. Loves Louise, not you."

Kirche became slightly angry and began bickering with Tabitha, as Guiche, Montmorency, and Malicorne laughed at the scene. The mood in the room was jovial and happy. However, a guard soon ran into the dining room, exasperated.

"Yo-Your Majesty! I have horrible news! Londinium is being attacked! The east of the city has been destroyed! It was as if it was never there! The destruction is…it's unbelievable! No mage could have done this!"

Everyone in the room became very serious. Saito got up and ran to the window. He could see smoke coming from part of the city as a large army, perhaps 1000 strong, made its way to their location. He immediately picked up Derf.

"I'm leaving. Thank you for your hospitality, Prince Wales. Stay here, it is important that you live. The rest of you can come or stay if you want."

Tabitha, Kirche, Montmorency, Guiche, and Malicorne all stood up. "We're coming with you!" they all said at the same time. Saito smiled slightly and then looked at Tabitha.

"Call Sylphid. We need to move fast." She went to the window and whistled. After a few moments, Sylphid arrived. They all hopped on and flew in the direction of the army. As they flew over the destroyed area of the city, they all began to understand what the guard had meant. It was clear that no mage had the capability to produce such large amounts of damage with normal magic.

As they were flying, Saito stood up.

"Go a bit lower, Tabitha."

Sylphid flew lower, 30 feet above the ground at most. Without warning, Saito jumped off, much to the surprise and worry of his friends. He landed and rolled on the ground, uninjured. The army marching towards the Palace noticed him, but identified him as a Plebian. The commander rode forward on his horse.

"Step aside! We have no quarrel with you!" Saito said nothing. He drew Derf and walked towards the army. The commander smiled, amused that one person was going to try and fight an army of soldiers and mages. He turned to look at his army.

"We have a Plebian who would like to die for the Royal Family. Oblige him!"

When he turned around, Saito was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. The commander scoffed. "Coward." As he said this under his breath, he heard screams from behind him. His men were falling to the ground. The commander observed closely before realizing that Saito had somehow found a way to get behind them. When he realized this, he told his soldiers to fall back. The army's fire mages sent spell after spell towards Saito, who was rushing at them at tremendous speed. Each spell that they sent was absorbed by Saito's blade. He killed every soldier in his way in a bloody, one sided battle that lasted for several hours, after which, Saito did not even have a scratch.

His body was soaked in blood. The corpses of his enemies lay around him. Some decapitated, some cut in half, and others simply unrecognizable. The smell of iron could be detected in the air, as a reddish mist clouded the area. Saito looked up at the sky, unfazed by what happened. His left eye was glowing, as were his runes. He sheathed Derf and walked away from the battlefield.

As he was walking away, his sanity started to come back to him. When he was fighting, he was a mindless machine. He had no sympathy for his enemies, not even contemplating the idea of sparing their lives. As he looked at his hands, soaked in blood, he began to cry. He remembered Colbert's words, telling him not to get comfortable with killing. As he was contemplating his failure, his friends came back on Sylphid. They were shocked at the scene before them. Hundreds of mangled bodies lay on the ground, soaking everything in blood. Saito was kneeling in the middle of all of these corpses, crying.

As they were about to go to help him, there was a flash of white light and a loud bang. They felt like they were burning and eventually, everyone became unconscious other than Saito. When he came to his senses, he observed the scene around him in horror. Whatever buildings had stood had been flattened. His own body was burnt, and he could feel that several of his bones were broken. He looked up and saw a ship hanging in the sky above. On one of its masts, thanks to his new eye, he was able to make out Cromwell, smiling at him triumphantly.

"How do you like my new weapon, boy?"

As he said this, he pulled something towards him by it's hair. It was unmistakable. Saito heart sank when he realized it was Louise. She was in rags and had a blank expression in her eyes. It was as if she had no soul. He could see that her body was scarred from whatever it was that Cromwell did to her.

"It wasn't easy, but she finally decided to help us!" From his jacket, he pulled out a little bell. When he rang it, Louise's face contorted in pain. She immediately began casting her Explosion spell. Saito was in too much shock to even attempt to dodge it. He was hurled hundreds of yards across the landscape. All of his ribs were broken. He had several lacerations on his body and some of his organs had been damaged.

In the distance, he heard marching. The army that Wales assembled finally arrived. Saito, however, knew that this was a terrible decision. He yelled at them at the top of his lungs.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" but it was too late. Cromwell rung the bell and soon after, an Explosion had been cast, decimating more than half of the army. Louise collapsed, bleeding from her nose. Her body could not handle casting Explosion so many times in one day. Cromwell, however, did not care. He kicked her in the gut.

"Hey, you useless thing! Get up! Who told you you could take a nap! Get up!" She fell onto the deck of the ship, out of Saito's sight.

Cromwell looked down at her. He pulled a gun from his coat.

"Get up or I end you here and now!"

Saito watched in horror. He wanted to beg Cromwell to stop, but his vocal chords refused to let him speak. He finally managed to let out one word.

"STOP!"

As he said this, Cromwell pulled the trigger. Saito heard Louise cry out in pain, making his heart feel like it had been stabbed. Cromwell shot one more time, and this time, there was silence.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well, there you have it. Chapter 7. It was probably too short and riddled with flaws (also a little depressing), so I'd like to apologize in advance. I will get chapter 8 out today before 11:00 PM, I promise. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: Love's Return

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I told you I'd get the next chapter out before 11:00 PM. I mean, it's not exactly early right now, but it could be worse right? I'll make it up to you guys somehow. I'm writing these Author's Notes before actually writing the story, so I don't know how long the chapter will be or how good…or bad it will be. I guess we'll find out soon. Enjoy chapter 8!**

 **Chapter 8: Love's Return**

Saito was motionless. The world around him was silent. His body was wounded and broken. He looked up at the floating ship in the sky, a blank expression on his face.

"Derf, do you remember when we fought the Army of 70,000?"

Derf was confused as to why Saito would ask such a question now. "Of course. Is this really the time to be recalling past conflicts? We need to retreat."

Saito ignored Derf's last statement. "How did I end up in the woods with Tiffania?"

Derf was silent for a few seconds. "I took you there using my own store of magical power."

Saito looked at the sword. "Take me to that ship."

Derf was surprised, but quickly refused. "No! You'll die! We need to retreat!"

Saito didn't respond to this. He began to slowly get up. He could hardly stand, let alone walk.

"I'm going to die, Derf. No matter what happens. At least let me choose where I take my last breath."

Derf was silent. "Very well."

Saito closed his eyes. "Thank you, my friend." In an instant, Saito found himself on the deck of the ship. Louise was only a few feet away. Saito could see that she had two bullet wounds in her abdomen and chest. He crawled closer to her, using all of his strength to pull himself across the ground. When he finally got to her, he placed his hand on her neck. She still had a very weak pulse. Knowing that he was going to die, he gave her a kiss. As he did, his runes began to glow. Louise's wounds began to emit steam, and slowly began to close themselves. Saito was happy that he was at least able to keep Louise alive, even if he died in the process.

Cromwell was watching from above, taking amusement from his foe's demise. He bagan to gloat to Saito.

"How very noble of you to die by her side! Truly inspirational! You fought a valiant battle, but I'm afraid the time has come f-" He was interrupted by a massive explosion on one side of the ship. He looked in the direction of the explosion and saw a dozen ships firing their cannons at his soldiers, who had been ordered to take other parts of the city. The ships belonged to the combined militaries of Germania and Tristain. Another explosion made Cromwell fall from the crow's nest, injuring his ankles. Several wind mages boarded the ship, pinning him to the ground.

Some soldiers ran to Saito and Louise's side. Prince Wales boarded the ship after hearing that it had been secured. He ran to Saito's side, fearing the worst. His runes did not glow at all. He immediately ordered him to be rushed to his Palace's infirmary. He then sent a search party to look for his friends, who had been badly injured by Louise's explosion and rendered unconscious.

 **In the Royal Palace.**

Louise's eyes cracked open. She was in a very luxurious bedroom. She had very dull pain in her chest and abdomen where she was shot. She also felt extremely weak from using Void Magic too much, but she otherwise looked as if nothing happened to her. A few minutes after she woke up, a maid walked into the room.

"Ah, Ms. Valliére. You're awake. I will inform Prince Wales." She left a glass of water on her nightstand and left the room. Soon afterwards, Prince Wales rushed into the room. " ére! I'm glad to see you're awake!" Louise was confused.

"Where am I?"

Wales smiled. "In my Palace, of course. How do you feel?"

She moved her body around, trying to find any aches or pains. "I feel fine. My chest and stomach hurt a little though. And I feel really weak."

Wales nodded. "I thought you would. I'll explain the details later. For now, get some rest." He got up to leave the room. Before he did, Louise stopped him.

"Wait!"

He turned around, a little surprised. "Yes, m'lady?"

She bowed her head. "Thank you. For saving me, I mean."

Wales shook his head. "I didn't save you. Your familiar did. Saito."

Louise's eyes widened. "Saito did? But…how?"

Wales turned around, about to leave the room. "I don't know exactly."

"How is he?" Louise asked, worried.

Wales didn't turn around. "His heart can't beat on its own. We have to pump it ourselves. His body is extremely frail. I don't understand how though. He looked very healthy when I met him before the battle. He has several broken bones, damaged organs, and deep lacerations. But, at the very least, he is alive."

He was about to leave, but then remembered something. "Your friends are okay as well. The Germanian, Gallian, and the 3 blondes." With that, he left the room.

In another room, several doctors and mages surrounded Saito's body, trying desperately to get his heart to start beating. In Halkeginia, they often used electric eels to restart someone's heart, as they had no firm knowledge of electricity yet. It would take several hours for the eels to arrive, so they had to pump Saito's heart manually

Meanwhile, Saito woke up in front of Gandalfr. The light in the room was nearly non-existent.

"They're trying to revive me." Saito said.

The being nodded. "Yes. If your heart starts beating again, your runes may begin to heal you as they did before. However, much of your energy has been transferred to the girl somehow, so I'm not sure if the healing will be as effective."

Saito sat down, thinking about how his runes seemed to heal Louise. "What do you think that was? I've never been able to heal."

Gandalfr sighed. "It most likely has to do with you 'absorbing' a second Gandalfr. In my prime, I was capable of healing the most gruesome of wounds in a matter of hours. Perhaps some of that power was transferred to you."

The light in the room flickered, becoming slightly brighter. "Looks like they finally got the eels, huh?" Saito said. Gandalfr nodded. "You'll wake up in a few moments. Congratulations on not dying…again." This was the closest thing to a joke Gandalfr had ever made in Saito's presence. It put a smile on Saito's face before he woke up.

Everything around him was bright. There were several people who he didn't know watching over him. He was in pain and his body was wrapped in bandages. His runes immediately started to glow as steam rose his body. Everyone who was near him stepped back, not knowing what was happening. Saito managed to raise his voice a little bit to where it was just barely audible.

"I need to be alone." He said, weakly. Everyone in the room nodded and left. Waiting outside, in case something went wrong. Saito laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. His body felt hot, but relaxed. He knew it would take days or weeks for him to heal, so he had one of the doctors give him a sedative. He told them to let him wake up when his runes had stopped glowing so brightly. He then fell into a medically induced coma.

A few hours later, Kirche woke up. She was badly bruised, but had otherwise healed the wounds she got from Louise. She got up and looked at the doctor attending to her.

"In which room is Louise de la Valliére being kept?"

"If you want to see her, I can take you to her room."

Kirche nodded and stood up, leaning on the doctor's shoulder. After a while, the doctor stopped in front of a large door. They knocked for a few seconds, after which, Kirche heard a soft "Come in." The doctor left Kirche and Louise to be alone.

Louise was surprised to see her bitter rival/enemy in her room.

"Come to mock me, Kirche?" She said as she was still lying in bed. Kirche sat next to her on the mattress.

"I came to apologize, Louise. All these years, I mocked you about your magic. I never thought you were capable of…" She could tell that Louise felt uncomfortable hearing about what she did while under Cromwell's control, so she stopped talking about it.

"When we found out about what happened to Saito, I…I thought that you were the one who did it." Louise looked at Kirche. "What happened to Saito?"

Kirche realized that Louise would have had no idea, so she began to explain everything that had happened. By the time she was finished, Louise felt extremely guilty. "I really am a loser huh? I'm sorry for putting you all in danger." She said. Kirche shook her head.

"No. You're stronger than any of us. Cheer up. We pulled through, so it's nothing to worry about. But from now on, would it be okay if I considered us friends?" Louise smiled at her. "Sure!" They hugged for a very long time. Years of torment between the two suddenly disappeared, as they became best friends.

 **Three Weeks Later**

Everyone had been transported back to the Magic Academy. Saito's body had finally stopped steaming, so he was slowly weaned off his anesthetic. Louise had watched him sleep every night, waiting for him to wake up.

She had left the room to get some water. When she came back, she nearly dropped the glass on the floor at what she saw. Saito was standing by the window, stretching his back. He hadn't noticed her walk into the room, so he was very surprised when he was knocked to the ground by someone. He at first thought he was being attacked, but calmed down when he felt that it was an incredibly light person and saw that they had pink hair.

"Hey, happy to see me?" Saito said, smiling.

Louise had buried her face into his chest. He stroked her hair slowly. He had missed the feeling of having her close to him. After a few minutes, she looked up at him.

"You could've died, you idiot!"

Saito started to laugh, disregarding her statement. After a few minutes of holding her close to him, he pulled her away.

"Louise, if I'm going to be your familiar, then I need to be open with you." She nodded, waiting for what he was about to say. Saito sighed. He began to explain why he was there. He explained everything from the first time he went to Halkeginia, to the present day.

Louise had listened to his story closely, taking in every detail. This was the only time Saito had ever told anyone about their relationship in detail, so he was extremely nervous.

"I treat you so poorly." Louise said. "Why did you come back here. You could have been happy with your family."

Saito scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess I kind of just fell for you. Corny, eh? I don't expect you to love me back or anything, but I thought you should know that that's how I feel about you." He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head, trying to get rid of the embarrassment in the air.

As he was laughing, Louise suddenly kissed him. His eyes were wide, but he eventually relaxed enough to close them. She pulled away and turned around.

"That was just to say thank you for saving me! Don't get any wrong ideas! I still don't know you, after all!"

Saito simply laughed at her, igniting the fury within her, which he knew of all too well. Several rather ineffective punches later, she finally calmed down. Saito kept her close to him until they were interrupted by Agnes, who became embarrassed when she saw Louise so comfortable in Saito's arms.

"Her Majesty Henrietta has called for your presence in the Royal Palace. We are to leave immediately" Blushing, she left the room as quickly as possible. They helped each other get dressed. Saito wore new, white clothes (similar to the ones he wore during his wedding in the canon), while Louise simply wore her school uniform. She then helped him walk out of the building and into the carriage. Although he was no longer in pain, his body still needed healing, so he could not walk alone.

While in the carriage, Saito and Louise made small talk about Japan and Halkeginia. As they spoke, a man on a bicycle rode by, ringing his bell to say hello. The sound brought back flashbacks for Louise. She remembered the torture she was put through to get her to use void magic. The sound of the bell acted as a trigger. Her face filled with fear and she began chanting the Explosion spell. Saito grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

"Louise! Wake up!"

She slowly came out of her trance, just as she was about to finish the spell. She hadn't realized what had happened. She simply thought she fell asleep.

"Saito. Why did you have to wake me up so violently?" She said. She sounded groggy, as if she had just been asleep. Saito didn't tell her about the bell.

"Sorry, I just got tired of being alone, you know? Not having someone to talk to." Louise yawned and laid her head on his shoulder. "You're such a wimp, Saito." She fell asleep. Saito was extremely worried, but decided that he should put it off until a later date.

After a few hours, they arrived at the Royal Palace. Saito nudged Louise until she woke up. She didn't say anything. They were led into the Palace. Several maids and guards clapped and gave their congratulations to Ms. Valliére and the Hero. They were led into a massive room. Inside, were the leaders of Germania, Tristain, and Albion. King Joseph of Gallia had not been invited.

Henrietta stood up to greet them. "Greetings Mr. and Mrs. Hiraga." They both blushed violently. "We're not…!" The leaders began to laugh. Wales teased them more than the others, perhaps because he was more familiar with Saito

"It's only a matter of time and…" he looked at Saito and winked "perseverance."

Henrietaa finally stopped laughing. "We are just teasing. We actually called you here to reward you for your actions in Albion." She looked first at Saito. "I would like first to offer you the title of Chevalier. A small reward, I am aware, but it is the most I can do without getting any backlash from other aristocrats."

Saito bowed, allowing Henrietta to hang an aristocratic cape around his shoulders. "I am deeply honored, Your Majesty."

She then turned to Louise. "As for you, my friend, you are now my sister. In the event that I am unfit to rule Tristain for any reason, command of the Kingdom will be yours." Louise's eyes widened. She couldn't speak for several seconds.

"I do not believe I am deserving of this reward, Your Majesty."

Henrietta hugged Louise. "No one is more deserving of this honor than you, Louise." They remained in each other's embrace while everyone in the room clapped.

"Now, I'm sure you two are tired." Henrietta said, "I have arranged a room for you two to share for as long as you wish to stay here." She winked at Saito as two guards escorted them to their room. When they were left alone, Saito sat on the bed, thinking about what he should do next. He knew very well that Sheffield and Joseph would become a problem soon, but he had no idea how he should counter them other than to fight them head on.

As he was thinking, Louise wrapped her arms around him. "You've just been made an Aristocrat! At least try to look happy about it!" She scolded. Saito pushed the thoughts away from his mind. He kissed Louise's forehead and laid down in bed. Holding Louise close to himself, they soon fell into a deep sleep.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Alright, that was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to write. Frankly, I don't think I wrote a good chapter. Something about it just feels off to me. But, as long as you guys are entertained, I'll let it slide. As always, leave a review and tell me your thoughts. It's a big help to me. Thanks again! I'll catch you guys next time!**


	9. Chapter 9: Calm Before the Storm

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for no chapter yesterday. Some stuff happened in my personal life that I had to take care of. I don't know how this chapter is going to go, but either way, I hope you enjoy it! I'd also like to say a big thank you for 1000 views. It really motivates me to keep going. Anyway, here's chapter 9. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 9: Calm Before the Storm**

Saito and Louise arrived back at the Academy. They had stayed at Henrietta's palace for a few weeks so that they could relax without being bothered by their friends. When they finally arrived, all of the Academy's students were outside, cheering to celebrate their arrival. Both Saito and Louise despised being around large groups of people, so it made them extremely uncomfortable to be watched by so many strangers.

They ran as quickly as possible to Louise's room, where they were finally alone. As they sat in silence, relaxing, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" They both said. It was Colbert, holding a large stack of textbooks. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Forgive me for interrupting, I just needed to speak to you, Saito." Saito stood up and helped him carry the books

"What's wrong, Colbert?" Louise asked.

"It's the runes on Saito's arm. We were already able to identify the on his hand as a Gandalfr rune. The others, though…I've been trying to work it out ever since you arrived. I couldn't find anything in any textbooks, so I looked elsewhere."

He put a massive book on the bed. "This is a book of ancient Halkeginian stories and legends. They've all been studied and regarded as nothing but folklore. However, in one of the myths, I saw something very interesting."

He opened the book, revealing several, worn out pages. All of them had either drawings or writing on them. He turned several pages before stopping and pointing at a picture. Saito observed it closely. It was a drawing of some kind of large, scaly serpent. It had a long body, four legs, and two arms. It's scales were thin and sharp everywhere except for the top of its head. Instead of the thin, sharp scales, there were 3 large and flat ones. As he observed more closely, he noticed that it had runes similar to his wrapping around it's body. Underneath the picture was the text, "Guardian of existence, Brother of time. Soren."

Saito was confused. "What is this thing?"

Colbert closed the book. "That's what we call Soren. It's an old story. It is said to be a god that controlled everything around it except time. It's widely regarded as a nothing more than a false religion. I don't believe anyone still believes in it. However, your runes are eerily similar to these ones. I'll investigate further, but tell me if you notice anything strange. If you have any visions or anything of the sort."

Colbert bowed and kissed Louise's hand. He picked up his books and left their room in a hurry. Saito sat next to Louise, looking down at his hands. Louise rubbed his back.

"You okay, Saito?"

Saito held her hand and nodded. "Yeah. I'll figure this out. It's probably a coincidence anyway."

He kissed her cheek and stood up. "Let's just relax for now. We've both been through a lot."

She nodded and went to the bathroom to bathe. When she was gone, Saito's face became more serious. In truth, he was extremely worried. He knew that he would have to deal with Joseph and, possibly, the Ancient Dragon soon enough. As he thought, someone entered the room. Saito's immediate reaction was to grab Derf, who had been asleep for weeks. Saito relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Oh. It's just you, Siesta."

She looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "You know my name?"

Saito immediately realized the mistake he made, so he tried to cover himself. "Oh, well uh…I heard someone talking to you and using that name, so I thought it might be yours." She looked at him blankly for a few seconds, then smiled. "Yes, that is my name. I came here to bring some treats for Ms. Valliere." She set a tray down on Louise's table. The whole situation felt very awkward for Saito. Normally, the Siesta he knew would make a move on him when Louise wasn't around. This Siesta, however, simply bowed and left the room.

Louise came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. Saito hadn't noticed. He had gone back to thinking about what his next move should be.

"Saito, stop sulking." Saito didn't respond. He was too deep in his thoughts to hear, or even see her. After a few minutes of trying to get his attention, she became impatient and kicked him to the ground.

"How dare you ignore your master!" She kept kicking him as he finally woke from his trance. He grabber her foot and looked at her. He seemed angry, making her feel afraid. After a moment though, he just started laughing.

"Got ya! You should know by now that you can't make me angry." He grabbed the treats that Siesta brought extremely quickly, as he saw that Louise had already gotten a hold of her riding crop. She stopped just as she was about to hit him. She had an intense passion for sweets, so she instantly forgave him for his transgressions. As she sat, happily eating her sweets, Saito looked at his sword.

"Hey, Derf. Wake up. It's been weeks." He didn't receive a response. Normally, Derf would wake up if Saito asked him to. Saito just assumed that he was very tired and ignored it. When Louise finally finished her last piece of candy, she laid her head on Saito's lap. Saito stroked her hair and looked into her eyes.

"I thought you said you couldn't fall for me so quickly."

She blushed and hid her face. "I haven't! Your lap is just comfy, that's all!"

Saito leaned towards and gave her a kiss. She was left speechless at this random gesture of affection, however, she did not try to stop it.

 **In Kirche's room**

Kirche stared out of her bedroom window. Saito's battle in Albion had clearly left an impression on her. She couldn't keep his face out of her head. As she kept staring out of the window, she heard a voice behind her.

"Thinking of Saito?"

Kirche turned around to see Tabitha standing behind her, reading a book.

"What makes you think that?!" Kirche said, in self defense.

Tabitha barely looked up from her book. "Obvious."

Kirche sighed and turned around. She had been thinking of Saito for weeks, but did nothing to address her feelings.

"Should act quickly." Tabitha said as she walked away. "He's in Louise's room."

Kirche thought about what Tabitha had said. She stood up and made up her mind. She was going to confront Saito. She ran out of her room as fast as she could and stopped in front of Louise's room. It was dead silent. She slowly cracked the door open and peeked inside. Her eyes widened and filled with sadness when they were greeted with the sight behind the door. Saito and Louise were in a passionate embrace. They're lips were locked together and both seemed extremely happy.

She quietly closed the door and went back to her room, feeling depressed. Tabitha came in a few moments later.

"You failed."

Kirche looked at her somewhat angrily. "Way to cheer me up." Tabitha sat down next to her. "He is dangerous. Better this way."

Kirche looked at her with a confused expression. "Dangerous? What do you mean? He saved an entire country."

Tabitha didn't look up from her book. "Don't trust him. Suspicious." She handed the book to Kirche. It was the same one that Colbert had shown Louise and Saito.

"Must be careful. Not what he seems." With that, she left the room, leaving Kirche alone to read the book.

 **In Henrietta's Palace**

The leaders of Tristain, Germania, and Albion had been discussing Joseph for several weeks. They had conflicting ideas on how to deal with him.

"We know he's going to be a threat!" Said the Emperor of Germania, Albrecht III. "We need to launch a preemptive strike before he has the chance to put his plan into motion!"

"We cannot!" Argued Prince Wales. "If we did so, the citizens of all of our nations would label us as war mongers. He would gain a larger following and we would have to watch our own streets to make sure his sympathizers don't do anything!"

"Please, calm down." Said Henrietta. "There must be some sort of compromise."

They all remained quiet for several minutes before Albrecht's eyes lit up. "Assassination." He said.

The other two stared at him. "What?" They said at once.

The Germanian looked at them both. "Assassination. Think about it. If we simply send a skilled assassin to kill him and his familiar, all we have to do is blame it on some random terrorist group. We then all send gifts to Gallia and attend his funeral, making our public images even better than they were before!"

Henrietta and Wales were quiet. They knew deep down that Albrecht was right, but they didn't like the idea of killing a man before he has done anything evil. What if Saito turned out to be wrong about the future? However, after a while, Henrietta conceded.

"Very well. We shall organize his assassination."

Wales was shocked to hear Henrietta say something like that, but he too eventually agreed.

"Very well. It will need to be a skilled assassin though."

Albrecht nodded in agreement. "What if we send the boy? He's already proven himself capable of immense destruction. As long as he isn't seen, that is. We cannot have someone who is looked up to in all of our country's found assassinating someone. A king, no less."

"Sending him in alone would be too risky." Wales said. "I propose we anonymously hire at least 4 other assassins to complete the mission."

Henrietta looked at Wales. "Anonymously?"

Wales nodded. "Only Saito can know about this. After all, these are hired killers. They'll sell information to anyone willing to pay enough money. Saito is the only one who we can trust to know who has given them this mission."

The other two nodded. Albrecht stood up and prepared to take his leave. "I suggest we also prepare our militaries, just in case war is inevitable. Our generals need not know what we are preparing for. This is strictly between us and the boy. We should meet at a later date to discuss who we will send with him."

He bowed towards the two leaders. "Ms. Henrietta, Sir Wales, I will take my leave now. May we meet again soon." With that, he left the room with his guards, leaving Henrietta and Wales alone. Henrietta looked extremely worried. She didn't like the idea of sending Saito on an assassination mission. She barely knew him, but he had already proven himself to be a fine warrior. To make things worse, she had agreed with Wales and Albrecht to send him on this mission with other assassins he didn't know.

Wales noticed how nervous she was, making him feel quite sorry for her. A lot of responsibility had been put on her shoulders in a short span of time. As she looked down at the ground, Wales sat next to her and quickly kissed her cheek, making her blush.

"It'll be fine." He said. "Saito is a strong person. I've witnessed his power first hand. Don't stress about it."

Both Henrietta and Wales had feelings for each other, but had to keep it a secret because they were, in fact, cousins. They relished any time they ever had to themselves, as it gave them an opportunity to express their feelings for each other without facing any ridicule.

Henrietta kissed his cheek in return, smiling. "Thank you, Wales."

She hugged him for several minutes, as all of the stress from her day melted away.

 **In the Tristain Academy of Magic**

Louise had fallen asleep. Saito was wide awake, stroking her long, pink hair. He couldn't bring himself to fall asleep at all. He was thinking deeply about what Colbert had shown him.

"Soren? What does that have to do with me?" He thought to himself. As he was thinking, he was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Partner! How've you been?!" This startled Louise, making her rise from her slumber and draw her wand. Saito hugged her, trying to calm her down. She looked around, sure that she heard a voice.

"You heard that, right?" She said, feeling frightened.

Saito began to laugh at her, making her feel angry. "Don't worry." He said. He turned towards his sword, smiling. "That was some nap you took, Derf."

Derf started to laugh. "Teleporting you took a lot out of me! But I'm back at one hundred percent again!"

Louise was confused for a moment before she realized what was happening. She looked at Saito. "So this is that legendary sword you kept talking about? I thought he was supposed to be in some rickety, rusted sword?"

Saito began to explain to her. "Actually, Derf is the spirit that inhabits the sword. The last one he was in kind of shattered, so I had to find him a new one."

Derf turned his attention to Louise. "Pleased to meet you again, Ms. Valliére!"

She didn't know what to do, so she simply bowed. "Pleased to make your acquaintance…again."

"So partner," Derf began "did you finally do it? You know…make her yours? You kept talking in your sleep about it before, after all."

Saito was speechless. He knew Derf was always a loudmouth, but this was downright betrayal. He could feel Louise staring into the back of his head. He turned around slowly. Louise was towering over him. It was as if he had shrunk to the size of a mouse when faced with her anger.

"What did he mean by that, Saito?" She said coldly, as her eye twitched in anger.

Saito didn't even try to defend himself. He simply sat there with his eyes closed, like a dog that was frightened of his master. Sure enough, as he expected, a strong kick landed directly on his face. It threw him across the room into a wall, rendering him unconscious.

Derf sheathed himself, trying to make sure he drew as little attention to himself as possible. "How tragic." He thought to himself. "How poetic it is to die by the hand of the one he loves."

 **Author's Notes.**

 **First and foremost, I'm really sorry for not posting a chapter yesterday. As I said in the Author's Notes at the beginning of the chapter, I had some personal troubles that I had (and still have) to deal with, so I simply did not have the time to write anything. I'm just going to give you guys a heads up that I may only write one chapter a day for the next week. They'll probably be short and a bit sh*t, but at least the story is moving along right? I hope you understand. Anyway, please leave a review. Good or bad, it doesn't matter. I really appreciate your feedback. And again, thank you so much for 1000 views! See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Three King's Mission

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey there, guys! We made it to 10 chapters! It's a big milestone (kind of)! Now, before I start, I'd like to clear something up. I received a private message from a viewer asking if this series would include Lemons. It definitely will in the near future. Perhaps this chapter or the next one. Who knows? I haven't decided yet. It will definitely happen within a week. I know that probably puts some (or most) of you guys off, but this series is rated M for several reasons, explicit sexual encounters being one of them. I'll openly admit that Im probably not the best at writing them, but I'll do my best. Anyway, now that I got that out of the way, enjoy Chapter 10!**

 **Chapter 10: The Three King's Mission**

Albrecht III of Germania was wearing a mask. He was sitting in a pub in the capital of Germania, Vindobona. After about an hour, a person in a mask sat in front of them. They used some sort of magic to distort their voice.

"Payment."

Albrecht pulled a large bag of gold coins from under his coat and handed it to the person. The person looked inside the bag, verifying the amount of gold was correct. They looked back up at Albrecht.

"Mission."

"Your mission is to assassinate Joseph of Gallia. You will be working with a team."

The person nodded. "And?"

Albrecht was silent for a moment. "There will be a boy who has black hair on your team. He is a foreigner. One of his eyes is orange and the other is blue. His name is Saito Hiraga. When Joseph is killed, dispose of him. If anyone sees you, kill them. If possible, make it look like the enemy killed them. If you can get out without being seen killing the boy, I will quadruple your payment when you return."

The person nodded.

"I will inform you when it is time for the mission." Albrecht said. "Until then, prepare."

Albrecht stood up and left the pub, a smile on his face.

 **In Louise's room**

Saito sat on a chair at Louise's desk. Louise had decided that he had to learn how to read and write in her language, Halkeginian. She had gone to take a bath, leaving him alone to study. He was never very good in school, so it was torture for him. He eventually began to slack off and daydream. In his head, he and Louise were laying together on her bed studying the book. For every question he got right, she would remove a piece of clothing.

He was making an extremely perverted face as he indulged himself in his daydream. Unfortunately, his daydream was interrupted as Louise kicked him, making him fall from his chair onto the floor.

"You're supposed to be studying!" She said angrily.

Saito had to think of a way to defend himself. It was then that he had what he thought was a stroke of genius.

"I know I should be studying, but it's really hard to keep going. I need some sort of…motivation." He couldn't help but look down at her body. She had just gotten out of a bath, so she was only wearing a towel. Her skin was slightly red and very soft. Even her pink hair and eyes seemed to glow.

"What do you mean by motivation?" She said, suspiciously.

Saito got up and went to sit on her bed. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're a smart girl."

He laid on the bed and closed his eyes. She thought for several minutes about how she could get him to work harder. After a while, Saito felt her climb onto the bed with him. When he opened his eyes, her face was directly over his.

"I-I-I'll give you a kiss for every question you get right. F-For every unit you complete, you get to make out with me. If you learn the entire language, I'll give you a bigger reward." Her face had turned bright red in embarrassment. It took Saito a few moments to realize what she meant by 'bigger reward'. When he finally did, he started to chuckle in embarrassment.

Saito gave her a soft kiss. "Deal."

She got off of him and walked back into the bathroom to change. "Get to studying, you perverted dog!"

Saito, properly motivated now, immediately sat at the desk and began to study. He remained there for the entire day, making sure to take in every word in the book. Louise helped him translate the letters into sounds. She was surprised and, for her own sake, somewhat worried at the progress he was making. At the end of the day, Saito had finished one unit, but Louise made sure not to address this, hoping he had forgotten what she had said.

Saito closed his book and went to freshen up in the bathroom. When he came back, Louise was already in bed, waiting for him to return. She had developed the strange habit of waiting for him to come to bed with her, as she could not sleep when he wasn't there anymore.

As Saito climbed into bed, Louise laid down. "Good night, Saito." She said.

Saito held her close to him. "Good night, Louise."

She was surprised and quite offended that he hadn't made a move on her. She turned around to look at him. "Don't you remember what I said earlier? You completed a chapter didn't you?"

Saito didn't look too bothered. "Well, you never mentioned it after that so I assumed you wouldn't want to do it. If it makes you uncomfortable, then it's fine." Saito smiled and then closed his eyes, preparing to fall asleep.

Sleep, however, did not come. Louise kissed Saito without warning. He was very surprised and didn't respond. When she finally pulled away, Saito finally managed to speak to her.

"I told you that you don't have to if it makes you don't want to." He said, feeling confused.

"I want to…" Louise said quietly, looking away. Saito smiled and kissed her. They remained kissing each other for hours that night, with Saito enjoying his reward for all of his studying.

The next morning, Saito and Louise were fast asleep. They had stayed up for hours the previous night, enjoying each other's company. However, they were rudely awoken when they heard loud knocking on the door. Saito was half naked, so he got up and dressed quickly. Louise covered herself with her blanket, as she was only wearing her slightly transparent nightgown and some panties, leaving her chest bare. Saito waited for her to cover up and then opened the door. It was Agnes.

"Chevalier de Hiraga, you have been summoned to the Royal Palace. You must come with me immediately."

Saito was confused. He looked at Louise and sighed. "Alright. Louise, let's go."

Agnes held Saito's arm. "You must come alone. Those are the Queen's orders."

This made Saito unhappy. He looked back at Louise, whose eyes were filled with confusion. She simply sighed and smiled at him. "It's okay, Saito. You can go. Just make sure you study while you're gone, okay?" Saito walked to her and gave her a long kiss.

"I'll be back before you know it." He said. He picked up Derf and walked out of the door, giving Louise one last look before closing her door. As he walked down the stairwell with Agnes, he thought about what was happening.

"Agnes," He said, "what's happening?"

Agnes paused for a moment and then kept walking. "They will explain it to you."

She then lead him to her carriage and they set off towards the Royal Palace.

 **In Henrietta's Palace**

Agnes led Saito into a large room. When inside, he saw Henrietta sitting at a round table with Wales and Albrecht III. Agnes left the room and closed the door. Saito noticed that there were two other people in the room. One, standing next to Albrecht, was a person wearing a black mask and wearing black clothing which disguised every feature about them. Their mask was completely featureless, showing no designs of any kind.

The other was a young man with long black hair. He had grey eyes and a scar on his chin. He seemed to be younger than Saito. He could easily have been mistaken for a 12-14 year old boy. A head band wrapped around his head. He dressed similarly to the person standing next to Albrecht, wearing a completely black outfit. However, his was more fitting to his body, instead of being made to hide his features.

Saito looked at Henrietta. He was very suspicious of this whole arrangement. "Your Majesty, what is this?"

She was silent and instead looked at Wales to explain. He sighed and looked at Saito. "Saito, you have been called here on a mission. As you are well aware, Joseph is not someone we can allow to be the leader of a nation. That's why we called you here." He pointed at the other two in the room. "These two will be your team members. We originally planned to have 5 people go on the mission instead of 3, but the other two refused to take it."

Saito looked at the two and then back at Wales. "What is the mission anyway?"

Wales looked at Saito. "You are to assassinate Joseph and his familiar."

Saito's eyes widened. Saito had, of course, killed before, but he had never done anything as covert as an assassination mission. He didn't know what to expect. Although he wasn't sure about undergoing such a mission, he knew that it was probably the easiest way for Tristain, Germania, and Albion to deal with Joseph without risking a war.

"I understand." He said.

"You will be heavily awarded when you return, I assure you." Said Henrietta. Wales and Albrecht nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry to take you away from your life with Louise." Henrietta said.

"I knew this would have to be done at some point." Said Saito. "Please do not apologize, Your Majesty."

"You leave tomorrow morning before sunrise." Said Albrecht. "Be prepared by then."

The leaders left the room, leaving the assassins to weigh each other out. The one who stood next to Wales was the first to speak.

"I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Alexandre. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He reached out to shake Saito's hand, smiling. Saito was very suspicious, but played along and shook his hand.

"I am Hiraga Saito. Pleased to meet you." They both turned to the masked person who was now sitting in one of the corners of the room.

"I am Shion." The person said before Saito and Alexandre could ask. They couldn't make out whether it was a male or female, since Shion's voice was heavily distorted.

"Shion? That's a Japanese name…" Saito thought to himself. Alexandre interrupted his thoughts. He was looking at his face.

"Saito, you okay? You're spacing out." Saito looked at Alexandre. He made Saito uncomfortable.

"You're an assassin?" Saito said. "You sure don't act like one."

Alexandre started to laugh. "Just because I'm an assassin doesn't mean I'm not a hu-." Alexandre checked what he was saying. "It doesn't mean I'm not a person, right?"

Saito sighed in defeat. "I guess you're right, Alex."

Alexandre put his hands behind his head. "Whatdya say we go get some lunch? Hey Shion!" He looked in the direction where Shion had been, but there was no one there. Alexandre shrugged and looked back at Saito. "Guess it's just us, huh? Let's go!"

"I never agreed." Saito thought to himself as he was effectively dragged away.

Saito and Alexandre spent the rest of the day talking about each other. Saito couldn't get too much out of Alexandre when it came to his past or his age. Every time he asked him how old he was, Alexandre would simply say, "Old enough to be an assassin!"

"I'm from a far away country. I used to be the equivalent of an aristocrat, but I had that taken away from me. So here I am!" Saito was unnerved by Alexandre's mannerisms. He acted, and rather looked, like a child. As Saito was weighing him out, Alexandre began to analyze him.

"You're clearly not from around here and…"He looked at Saito's arm. "judging from your glowing runes, you're some kind of special familiar. From your unusual and rather plain clothes, you're a plebian. You have several light scars on your body. I assume your master caused them, but yet…I can see in your eyes that there's someone you have to return to after this mission. Perhaps it is your master. That must mean your master is a woman who although is somewhat abusive, you love with all your heart. You also seem to know quite a lot about Joseph of Gallia considering how you never protested assassinating a king."

Saito was shocked at Alexandre's analytics.

Alexandre was excited. "Yes! I was right!" He started to laugh.

Saito looked at Alexandre with a large amount of suspicion. "How could you possibly figure all that out?"

Alexandre stood up and shrugged. "I'm just good at reading people." He yawned and started to walk away. "We'd better get to sleep. We have an early start tomorrow. See you tomorrow." He ran into the Palace, leaving Saito alone in the room they were sitting in.

Saito got up and went to his room. He wasn't comfortable with either of his teammates. One knew too much about him and the other was extremely mysterious. He laid in bed and fell asleep within a few seconds.

Saito woke up in front of Gandalfr's gate. It was the first time he had been able to do so in weeks. Gandalfr didn't wait for him to speak.

"The black haired one is strange. I feel something strange about him." He said. He seemed very angry when he said it. Saito didn't say anything for a while. He then looked up at Gandalfr.

"The other one, Shion. He…She…whatever they are, they worry me. That name, it's Japanese."

Gandalfr stared at him. "Could be coincidence, but I urge you to be cautious."

They chose to end their conversation on that matter. For whatever reason, it stressed Gandalfr out to talk about it. They made small talk about the battle in Albion, as well as Saito's exploits with Louise. Gandalfr had become increasingly interested in Saito's relationship with her. He considered it as entertaining as watching a television show.

After what seemed like a few hours, Saito stood up. "Looks like it's time for me to wake up. It was great talking to you again." Gandalfr simply scoffed and closed his eyes.

Saito woke up in the early morning, perhaps 4 or 5 AM. There were pieces of clothing laid out on his nightstand. They were identical to the ones he bought in Akihabara. The only difference was that all the parts that were formerly white were made black. A hood was also attached to it, allowing him to hide his face. He didn't know who gave him the clothes, but he quickly put them on and ran outside of the palace. He stood at the front gate, waiting for his colleagues to arrive. Alexandre was the first to show himself. He slowly walked from the palace to the gate, looking very groggy. He looked at Saito slowly, then began to whine.

"Why did we have to wake up so early!" He shouted. He then sat on the ground and began to doze. As Saito looked at him with disbelief, he heard Shion next to him.

"Time to leave." Shion said. Saito wasn't sure when Shion had arrived, but decided to ignore it. He forced Alexandre to wake up. Alexandre noticed that all three of them were there. This made him wake up entirely, becoming the easy going, energetic self that made Saito slightly cringe.

Saito looked behind him at the Palace. The sky behind it had gone from black to dark blue as the sun began to rise.

He looked at Shion and Alexandre, who were standing behind him, waiting to disembark.

"Let's go." Saito said. They quickly ran away from the Palace, seemingingly disappearing into thin air with their speed, and ran towards their destination, Gallia.

 **Author's Notes** :

 **Well, that one was slightly easier to write than the two before it. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please leave a review! It really helps me out! Also, sorry for posting this quite late in the day, but I had some stuff to do so I hope you understand. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter 10 (woohoo! 10 chapters!). See you guys next time!**


	11. Chapter 11: Journey to Versailles

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I don't really have much to say this time so…enjoy chapter 11!**

 **Chapter 11: Journey to Versailles**

It had been 4 days since Saito, Shion, and Alexandre had departed Henrietta's palace to begin his mission. They had no trouble getting into Gallia, as they simply told the guards at the bolder that they were merchants. They decided to go to an inn on the outskirts of Gallia, far away from their destination, the Royal Palace in the city of Versailles.

Saito bought them a room for the night and then went upstairs. His two companions were already in the room when he arrived, sitting on two chairs. Saito sat on the mattress in silence for a few minutes, and then got up to speak to them.

"We need to create a plan on how we're going to do this. Getting into the Royal Place will be nigh on impossible, so if we're going to do this, we need to have a solid plan. We also need to discuss his familiar, Sheffield."

Alexandre pouted, looking like a spoiled child. "Why do we have to discuss all this?! Let's just kill them and leave!" He yelled at the top of his voice.

Saito hit him over the head, making him fall to the ground. "Shut up! We can't let people hear us!"

He sat back down on the bed. "Killing Sheffield and Joseph won't be so easy. It'll be much harder than last time."

"Last time?" Shion said.

"It's nothing." Saito said, nervously. He could tell that Shion wasn't buying it. "Look, the point is that it won't be easy at all. Joseph is a Void Mage who can use a spell called Acceleration. If he is aware that we are after him, we won't be able to kill him. Because of that, we have to kill Sheffield first. She is a familiar known as The Mind of God. She is probably monitoring the entire Palace 24/7."

"The Mind of God? How could you possibly know all of that?" Shion said, looking at Saito's left arm. Saito had begun wearing a black glove on his hand to hide his rune. Alexandre had already seen Saito's left arm in its entirety, but had never shown any knowledge about what the runes meant. Shion appeared to be more observant than Alexandre was, so Saito made sure to keep his arm a secret from them.

"I made sure to study before going on this mission, of course." Saito said. It was very obvious that he was lying.

"I know you're lying, Saito. If we're going to be working together, you should be honest with us." Shion said.

"You're one to talk about being honest!" Said Saito, angrily. "We don't even know what you look like. We don't know anything about you! We don't know if you're a boy or a girl! Hell, we don't even know if you're human!"

Shion was silent. Alexandre watched the two argue, with his eyes filled with intrigue. Shion eventually sighed. And began to take off their mask. Saito and Alexandre looked at Shion removing the mask with great intensity. With a little hesitation, they removed their mask entirely, revealing their face. It was a young girl, roughly the same age as Alexandre, with silver hair, dark purple eyes, and extremely pale skin. More surprising for Saito was that she was very obviously Japanese.

Saito was very suspicious. He had known that other Japanese people had gone to Halkeginia in the past, but their descendants looked mixed rather than purely Japanese. Just as Saito was about to ask her about her origins, Alexandre ran across the room and hugged Shion, rubbing his cheek onto hers.

"You're so cute! Why would you hide your face?! Your skin is so nice and soft!" He said. Shion was making a blank expression. Neither angry, nor happy. After a few minutes of his affection, she eventually moved her eyes to look at him.

"Get off of me." She said calmly. Alexandre got off and stared at her without saying anything. She got up and walked to the closet.

"I'm going to sleep." She said as she walked into the closet and closed the door behind her.

"She sleeps in the closet? Well, we are boys so I guess it makes her feel safer." Alexandre said. Saito didn't respond. He was lost in thought, wondering about her origins. Eventually, Alexandre pushed him.

"We should go to bed." Alexandre said. Saito nodded and laid down on the mattress. He and Alexandre had already agreed to sleep on the same bed, considering they were both guys. Alexandre blew out the candles and laid on the opposite side of the bed.

Saito couldn't sleep. He was too stressed out to feel tired. He was, after all, on an assassination mission with people he didn't know. As he thought, he was surprised when he heard Alexandre speak to him. They had been in bed for hours, so he didn't expect him to be awake.

"Hey, Saito."

"Yeah, Alex?" Saito responded.

"You think we can trust her?" Alexandre said. Saito was surprised to hear Alexandre speaking rationally for once.

"I don't know yet. Why?"

"She's kind of cute, don't you think?"

Saito laughed at him, making Alex feel embarrassed. It was a much needed laugh as well, as it got rid of some of his stress.

"I guess." He said when he finally calmed down. "I wouldn't recommend falling for an assassin though, Alex."

"I haven't fallen for her! I just think it would be a shame if we ended up having to kill her too." Alex said, trying his best to defend himself.

"Look, I've been in your situation before. You don't really know her yet, but you can change that. I still don't think you should pursue her though. She could be dangerous and…" He paused for a few seconds. "we still don't know much about her."

Alexandre sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Get to know her, huh? But how? She seems so cold." Hearing this gave Saito horrifying flashbacks of when he first met Louise.

"It could be worse, Alex." Saito said, shivering.

"Is your girl cold like that?" Alex asked.

"She was really fussy and kind of brutal." Saito said, "But she changed, or rather, I changed her." He sighed and then looked at Alex. "She'll warm up to you if you try hard enough. I still think it's a little early to decide that she's the one for you, but whatever."

Alex chuckled a bit. "Thanks for the advice." He looked out of their window. There was a church in the distance with a clock on top of it. It was nearly 3 AM.

"We should get to sleep."

Saito nodded. "Good night, Alex." With that, he fell fast asleep.

They woke up a few hours later once the sun was already in the sky. Saito, fully rested, put on his clothes and waited for Alex and Shion to get ready. Alex was eager to wake up Shion. He opened the door to see her fast asleep. She had taken off her assassin clothes and was wearing a purple nightgown.

"She looks so peaceful." Alex thought to himself.

He turned to look at Saito, who was polishing Derf's blade with a towel.

"Hey Saito, is it okay if we stay a little longer? Just to wait for her to wake up?" He asked.

Saito was about to refuse, but he turned around to see Alex looking at Shion sleeping on the ground.

"Sure, why not?" He said, "But we can only stay for an hour. We have to get going."

Alex smiled and nodded. He quietly picked her up and laid her down on the mattress they had used. He stayed by her side, stroking her hair for several minutes. It was then that he noticed something strange on her neck. She had a large scar running along the length of her neck. It was as if someone had slit her throat.

Pain filled Alex's normally joyful heart. This reaction even shocked himself. Alex, as an assassin, had murdered several people before. Men, women, and even children. Not once had he ever felt remorse or pain for what he did, but yet at this moment, his heart ached for someone he hardly knew.

As he stared at her neck, slowly stroking the scar, he saw that her eyes were wide open. He jumped back in fear, landing on the ground. She didn't say anything to him. She went to the closet and closed the door. When she came out, she looked at Alex.

"Do not touch me when I am asleep." She said coldly. She turned and walked out of the door. Saito thought he saw her smile slightly on her way out, but he ignored it and walked over to Alex, who was visibly distressed. Before she left, Shion made sure to put her mask back on.

"Don't worry about it, Alex. Just keep going after her." Alex smiled and nodded. After a few minutes, they departed the inn and walked on the road towards Versailles. The road that they needed to take went through wilderness. There were no towns along the journey. It would take them up to 3 days to reach Versailles. Their day was uneventful. They only stopped occasionally to kill an animal to eat. Alex spent the whole time walking close to Shion. She didn't seem annoyed. She simply kept walking without saying anything to him.

They walked for several hours before stopping on the side of the road to make camp. They were in a thick forest with no sign of civilization anywhere.

"I'll go get firewood." Saito said. "You two go look for food and make us some shelters." He departed into the woods, looking for dry pieces of wood to use. As he was walking, Derf popped out from his scabbard.

"I see what you did there, Partner. Leaving those two alone. Is it safe though?"

Saito chuckled. "Well, I doubt there's anything out here that I can't deal with, so I'll be fine."

"I meant is it safe for Alex." Derf said.

Saito paused for a moment. "Well, if she's anything like Louise, then no. But she seems to be more laid back than Louise, so I'm sure he'll be fine."

Shion and Alexander walked through the woods, hunting for food. Shion had made a spear out of a piece of wood and was aiming at a deer to kill. Hunting was the last thing on Alex's mind though. He looked at Shion's neck, feeling a mix of pain and curiosity.

"Hey, what happened to you? Your neck…"

He had said this just as she was throwing her spear. The shock from the sudden question made her miss the shot, allowing the deer to escape. She recomposed herself and turned towards Alex.

"If you must know, the people in my old place of residence attempted to kill me for who I was. I survived, escaped, and was left with this scar as a reminder."

Alex looked at her with a look of pity. "I'm sorry to have asked." He said quietly.

She turned away and went to pick up her spear. "It doesn't matter to me anymore."

They continued on their search for food. In an attempt to impress Shion, Alex quickly dispatched a large buck. However, she did not seem impressed at all. She came to help him drag the dead animal back to their camp, but he insisted that he do it himself. He was extremely strong, able to drag the large animal with little effort.

By the time Saito came back to their camp, Alex had already skinned and gutted the animal. He had cut it into several pieces which he stuck onto sticks he had found, waiting to be roasted. Saito said nothing. He was tired and wanted to sleep without incident. He quickly started the fire and began roasting the meat. Shion sat on a log and stared at the moons in the sky, exposing the scar on her neck. Saito had noticed it, but chose not to say anything. Alex sat next to her, thinking of what to say.

"Hey, Shion."

She looked at him with a blank face. "What?"

"Do you have a…boyfriend?"

Her expression didn't change, but her face slightly filled with color. Before either one could say anything, Saito dragged Alex away.

"Hey, the food is ready!" He said as he dragged Alex away by his ear. When they were out of earshot, he sat him down on a log.

"What the hell, Alex?! You can't ask her that!"

Alex looked confused. "Why not?"

Saito put his hand on his face. "It's too soon, and kind of personal."

Alex looked interested to be learning about this subject from Saito. "Oh okay. I'll be more subtle."

Saito sighed. "Fine, whatever."

They walked back to her holding sticks of roasted meat. Her face was still slightly pink. They ate in silence for a long time. They all had voracious appetites. Saito had his appetite ever since he got his new runes on his arm. It was as if his body needed more fuel to sustain them. Although they all were capable of eating vast quantities of food, Saito easily ate more than they both did combined. When he was finally finished. He bade them goodnight and went to his makeshift tent, which Alex had made earlier.

Shion and Alex sat in silence. Eventually, Shion got up to go to bed. As she walked away, she stopped for a moment and looked back at him.

"I don't." She said. She then hurried to her tent.

Alex was dumbfounded for a few minutes. When he finally realized what she meant, he leapt into the air, filled with happiness. However, just as quickly as happiness had overcome him, it disappeared. A cold feeling overcame him, as if winter had come too early. He rushed to Shion's tent. She was already holding her sword, prepared for whatever was coming.

"You feel it too? There's a presence."

Alexandre nodded.

Satio seemingly appeared from nowhere, standing with his back facing Alexandre. He had felt the presence too, so he didn't bother asking them if they felt the same thing. Saito glanced at Shion. Her sword was exactly the same as his, only the jewel in the hilt was red instead of Saito's blue. It even had Japanese writing engraved into its blade. He wanted to mention it, but knew that now wasn't the best time.

After a few minutes, they couldn't feel anything anymore. Not a sound disrupted the eerie silence. As Saito looked around, his left eye began to burn, forcing him to close it. He fell onto one of his knees, holding his face.

Alexandre helped him up. "What's wrong, Saito?!"

Saito opened his eye. His vision out of it had an orange hew, but he could see clearly into the night. Beyond the trees, he could see several wolves circling them. He recognized them instantly, as they had the runes of Mjöðvitnir glowing on their foreheads.

"Back to back!" Saito said.

Shion and Alexandre immediately turned so that all three of their backs were facing one another.

"What are we dealing with?" Asked Shion.

Saito paused before responding.

"Sheffield. The Mind of God."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well, that was chapter 11. I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry again for posting this so late in the day. Please leave a review and follow the story if you like it! Thanks for reading guys! Take care!**


	12. Chapter 12: Compromised Cirumstances

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! It seems like the story has been well received so far! I'm really grateful. Also, shout out to Mdhunter, who has left multiple reviews encouraging me to keep writing. Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy chapter 12!**

 **Chapter 12: Compromised Circumstances**

The trio of assassins were surrounded. Only Saito could clearly see the enemy, due to his left eye granting him some form of ocular prowess. There were dozens of Sheffield's wolves around them. He could see an aura coming off each one of them, emanating from one direction.

"She's that way!" He said, pointing in the direction he sensed the aura coming from.

However, as soon as he showed that he knew where the perpetrator was, they disappeared, along with all of the wolves surrounding them. The trio remained on edge for several minutes before finally relaxing.

"What was that, Saito?" Asked Alex.

"She knows we're here. No doubt she's alerted Joseph already." Saito replied. They all thought in silence for several seconds. As Saito thought, his eye began to ache. The pain became sharper and more severe. He held his face in pain for several minutes until, finally, it went away. When he opened his eye, he realized that his vision had returned to normal.

Shion and Alexandre didn't notice this small episode. They were sitting next to each other on a log, discussing how they'd complete their mission. All energy that Saito had in his body had disappeared, most likely, he thought, because of what his eye did. He chose not to discuss with them at the moment, as he was too tired to begin strategizing.

"Go to sleep." Alex said to Shion, "I'll watch guard over night." She nodded and stood up to go to her tent. Before she could leave, Alex gave her a kiss on her cheek, throwing her off guard. She was perfectly still for several seconds before quickly running away to her tent.

"Smooth move, stud!" Said a voice once she was far enough away. Alex pulled a dagger from his coat, startled.

"Relax kid. It's just me. Saito's sword." Derf said. Saito had left him lying on a log near the campfire. Alex put his dagger away and sat next to him.

"Well, I figured it was a good opportunity to make sure she knew how I felt about her." Alex said, sheepishly.

"No need to be so nervous, kid. You certainly did better than Saito." Derf said.

Alex looked down at Derf. "How did he do? Tell me!" He said, full of excitement.

"Well….okay. But you didn't hear these things from me, got it?!" Derf said. Telling Alex about Saito's romantic exploits was something that even Derf was frightened to do. Saito could be just as vicious as Louise when he wanted to be, so it was certainly a risk.

Alex agreed not to tell anyone, so he and Derf spent the rest of the night talking about Saito and Louise, much to Alex's intrigue. In the early morning, Alex began to fall asleep. He hadn't slept in 24 hours, so he was having a hard time staying awake. Shion woke up and saw him hitting his head against a tree to keep himself awake. She walked towards him and tapped him on his shoulder.

"Go sleep." She said.

He shook his head, refusing. "You need to rest more than I do. What kind of gentleman would I be to let you do that?"

She looked into his eyes, blankly. They were both silent for a little while, looking into each other's eyes. Alex subconsciously leaned in to kiss her, but she took this opportunity to hit the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. She carried him to his tent, laid him down, and covered him with a blanket. She stared at him for a few seconds, then kissed him on his cheek. She walked out of his tent, to find Saito walking by the entrance. He paused when he saw her coming out of Alex's tent.

He put his hands in the air and slowly backed away. "I didn't see anything. Whatever happened in there is between you guys."

She turned red when she realized what he meant. "We weren't!" She said angrily. It was the only time Saito had seen her show any amount of significant emotion. He didn't respond to her, instead walking back to his tent to gather his things. Shion sat outside Alex's tent, waiting for him to wake up. She waited for several hours, before finally hearing him stand up. She heard a racket inside, as if he was panicking.

He suddenly ran outside, looking around frantically. When he saw Shion, he calmed down and gave her a hug.

"Sorry I fell asleep." He said quietly.

She didn't respond to his hug, neither pushing him away, nor accepting it. She sat there expressionless, devoid of emotion. When he finally finished his emotional outburst, he let go of her. She immediately put on her mask and walked to the campfire.

"We have to leave. The sun is up." She said, calmly.

Saito was already prepared to leave. While Shion had been waiting for Alex to wake up, Saito had been busy trying to talk to Derf, who refused to come out of his scabbard. Alex nodded and prepared to leave. Within a few minutes, they had destroyed any sign that anyone had stayed there. After drinking several gallons of water, they went on their way.

As they walked, they discussed their plan for killing Joseph.

"This is no longer going to be a stealthy assassination mission." Saito said, "Sheffield knows we're here, which means Joseph knows as well."

He remained silent for a little while. "I think we should just storm the palace." He finally said.

"Don't be stupid." Shion said immediately, "That palace must have more than 1,000 soldiers in there. Not to mention Sheffield and Joseph themselves."

Alexandre nodded in agreement with her.

"Speaing of which," he said, "what's so bad about Joseph and Sheffield anyway? You seem to know a lot about it, Saito, yet you never talk about it. Why don't you inform me and Shion?"

Saito stopped walking. He wondered if he should tell them about everything. After all, he was entrusting his life with these people.

"Fine." He said, "I'll tell you while we make our way to the Palace."

For several hours on their way to Versailles, Saito explained everything that happened to him. From his first time setting foot in Halkeginia, to their current mission.

"So…you're Japanese?" Shion asked. Saito nodded, still moving briskly along the path they had taken. It was nearly night time and they could now see the shining lights of Versailles a few dozen kilometers away.

"Yes, I'm Japanese." Saito said, somewhat absent mindedly. "Now you know why Joseph must be killed. He'll destroy everything."

Shion was silent for a few moments. "What is your relationship with Albrecht III of Germania?"

Saito paused. "I don't really know him. One of Louise's classmates is his daughter, but we're good friends. I've only ever met him a few times, and we never talked much. It's an odd question though. Why do you ask?"

Shion thought about the secret mission Albrecht had assigned to her. After being with Saito and Alex for more a week, she began to feel more comfortable with them. She didn't really want to kill them, but she reassured herself that she had to do it when she thought about the amount of money she would be rewarded with.

"No reason in particular. I was just wondering why he contacted me to help you on this mission."

Saito and Alexandre alike were well aware that she was lying and was hiding the actual reason she asked Saito that question. Both decided to ignore it as they continued walking towards the city. When they finally reached the city late into the night as the moon was starting to set, they checked into an inn. They felt fairly safe, believing that Joseph wouldn't attack his own city. At least not yet.

Shion went into the bathroom to freshen up, leaving Saito and Alexandre alone in the bedroom.

"Saito…" Alex said quietly.

"Yeah," Saito responded, "she's hiding something."

Alex nodded. He was, of course, in love with Shion, but he also had come to grow quite fond of Saito, perhaps due to Alexandre's own childish nature.

"Should we confront her about it?" Alex asked.

Saito thought for a moment. "Yes, but not now. Let's wait until we finish the mission. It could put a strain on our chemistry as a team if we started asking her questions now."

Alex nodded in agreement and sat on a chair. He looked very serious, clearly thinking about the situation with Shion. Soon afterwards, she came out of the bathroom, no longer wearing her assassin clothes or her mask. She could sense the somewhat gloomy atmosphere.

"Suspicious of me?" She asked bluntly, catching both men off guard.

Saito, didn't say anything. He knew he couldn't lie about it, so he decided that he'd rather not say anything. Alexandre looked extremely guilty. He too was completely silent.

Shion sighed and sat down. "I was given a private mission by Albrecht III of Germania. If I fail my mission, know that he was the one who ordered for me to complete it. He has offered to vastly increase my pay should I be able to complete his mission, as well as kill Joseph and Sheffield. That's all I can tell you without revealing too much."

Saito thought about every detail.

"What could Albrecht possibly want with me?" Saito said to himself.

As he thought, Alex got up and held Shion's hands.

"I trust you, Shion. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt us." He said, smiling.

She felt both guilt and happiness at the same time. The warmth of his affection made her feel a little bit better. She held his hands, looking into his eyes for several. She then realized what she was doing and quickly pulled away, reverting to her normal, cold self. Seeing her try to reserve her emotions made Alex laugh, but he didn't tease her at all.

She turned around and sat on the sofa in their room. She chose to sleep there that night. Without saying anything, she covered herself with a blanket and turned so that they couldn't see her. She was thinking about holding Alex's hands, making her smile.

Saito watched them, smiling. It reminded him of himself and Louise. He looked at Alexandre, who was smiling and watching Shion sleep.

"Hey, Alex. Go to sleep. I'll keep watch tonight."

Alex looked at Saito, confused. "Keep watch? We're in an inn though. They wouldn't attack their own city. Besides, what are you going to be able to see from a room with 2 windows?"

Saito put his hand over his left eye. "I think I can figure something out. Just go to bed, okay?"

Alex nodded and laid next to Shion on the couch.

"Uh, Alex?" Said Saito, a little bit embarrassed at what he was seeing. "There is a mattress, you know?"

Alex smiled at him. "I know, but this is way more comfortable." He laid next to her, cupping his body to hers, and fell asleep.

Saito shook his head. He sat on the ground and crossed his legs, beginning to meditate. After a while, he woke up in front of Gandalfr's gate. The beast was already awake, somehow expecting Saito to arrive.

"Gandalfr, all humans possess the power to use magic, right?"

The beast nodded. "This human society has managed to fool everyone into believing that only those born into privileged families have this ability. They are wrong however. Why do you ask me this?"

Saito held his chin in his hand. "So that means I have my own store of magic right?"

Gandalfr nodded again, so Saito continued. "I ask because earlier in the forest, after my eye stopped using it's power, I felt extremely tired and weak. Is it because my magic reserved were depleted?"

"How very vigilant of you, boy. Yes, you are correct. Whereas the Gandalfr rune does not draw from your own magic reserves, the new runes you received seem to be unique to you. In other words, those runes are not simply given to you by magic, you seem to have somehow created them yourself, in the same way that I created the Gandalfr rune."

Saito smiled. "So I'm my own legendary creature now?"

Gandalfr chuckled a little. "Well, perhaps not legendary yet, but you might get there at some point."

Saito chuckled and continued questioning the being behind the gate. "So…how do I control my magic reserves?"

Gandalfr thought for a moment. "I can release the floodgates for you, I suppose. It will be…an experience for you. May I ask, why do you suddenly want this?"

Saito pointed at his eyes and his arm. "I clearly have some sort of powers that I don't know about. I have a feeling that if I feed my magic into my eye and arm, I might be able to control them eventually."

The beast nodded. "Very well, come closer to the gate."

Saito was hesitant. The last time Gandalfr had asked him to come closer, he had tried to kill him.

"I won't try to kill you, Saito. You've been offering me entertainment, so I'll be helping you for a while. Now, come closer."

Saito, still hesitant, slowly walked closer. As he was a few feet from the gate, a large black claw slowly made it's way out of the gate. Saito decided that it was probably safe to remain put, as if Gandalfr wanted to kill him, he wouldn't have move so slowly. The claw eventually touched Saito's chest.

"What now?" Saito asked.

"Take a deep breath, boy." The beast said.

Saito wasn't sure what he meant, but he did as he was instructed. He suddenly felt a large amount of heat radiating from behind the gate. The claw slowly entered Saito's body, making his chest glow a bright white. Saito began to panic in his head, but remained motionless. His chest started to burn immensely, followed by the rest of his body shortly afterwards.

Just as the pain became unbearable, as if he was burning in the flames of the sun itself, Gandalfr pulled his claw out of his chest, relieving his pain.

"It seems you had more than I expected, so I wasn't able to unlock all of it. You probably wouldn't have survived the pain anyway. Regardless, what you have is quite a lot, abnormal for someone your age. Do with it what you wish."

Saito, still panting from the pain, got up. There was a white aura emanating from his body. He felt as if he was much lighter than before. He looked up at the monster, who's glowing, fire orange eyes were staring back at him. Saito was smiling from ear to ear. He hugged the being's claw, repeatedly giving his thanks.

Gandalfr looked down at him. He felt somewhat strange within his heart to see Saito hugging him so affectionately. It was a feeling he recognized, but hadn't felt in years. He waited for Saito to stop before moving his claw back behind the door.

"So, how do I control my power?" Saito asked.

"Well, considering that as Gandalfr, you yourself are meant to be a weapon, it should come naturally to you. It will be hard at first, but you have an uncanny ability to pick things up quickly. You'll figure it out." The beast explained.

Saito nodded, looking at his no longer glowing runes on his left arm. "One last question. Why does my body hurt every time I use these powers by accident?"

Gandalfr closed his eyes, thinking about this question for several moments. "It is most likely because they were forcefully taking magic from your body's reserves, which were still naturally sealed at the time. You shouldn't feel any pain now as long as the runes aren't forced to tap into the magic that I couldn't unlock."

Saito bowed. "Thank you so much, Gandalfr! For everything!" He was about to leave, but was halted by Gandalfr.

"There is one thing that slightly troubles me." he began, "I don't know how your runes were able to activate on their own whenever you needed them. It's as if they have some form of consciousness, or at the very least, awareness. Be careful and watch for anything strange, Hiraga Saito."

Saito nodded and waved goodbye to Gandalfr before waking up in the room he and his companions rented in Versailles. Only about an hour had passed in reality during the time Saito was having his conversation with Gandalfr.

"Right!" Saito said to himself. He could feel something within him that he had never felt before. Almost as life there was a large fountain of water dwelling within his chest.

"This must be my magic. It feels…overwhelming. But I still feel in control of it." He thought.

His runes on his arm were no longer glowing. He was no longer constantly aware of their presence. He reveled in this new feeling for several minutes before finally becoming serious. He closed his eyes and tried to focus his magic into his left eye. It was extremely difficult at first, but it soon began to feel natural. After a few minutes, he could feel his eye change.

When he opened it, the world around him was tinted orange. He focused a little more, and was eventually able to slightly see through the wall of the building. He could see little bright white lights dotted around the city, some smaller than others, which he soon identified as the magic reserves of different people. They looked like perfectly round orbs residing within people.

"Now I'll be able to keep an eye out for Sheffield and Joseph a little more easily." He said to himself out loud.

"How?" Said a voice behind him, scaring Saito into a corner of the room. It was Alex. He had woken up to drink water a little while earlier and had noticed Saito sitting cross legged with his eyes closed.

"You scared me, Alex!" Saito said as he turned around.

Initially, Alex smiled, but his face soon turned into one of intrigue. "Saito, your eye is being weird."

Saito got up and looked into a mirror. His eyes was glowing more brightly than it ever had. His iris now had a distinct black outline separating it from his sclera. Something else that he could see that Alex couldn't was the flame like aura emanating from it.

"Does this have something to do with all of that Gandalfr stuff?" Alex asked?

Saito hadn't informed him that the runes on his arm were different than the ones on his hand. "Sort of." He said, "Go back to sleep. I'll be able to keep watch all night. I can see everything now."

Alex shrugged, still confused. Saito looked at him, his visual prowess showing him the reserves of his magic. Saito was shocked to see how massive the orb within Alex was. He didn't mention anything. He waited for Alex to go back to sleep, and then sat back down.

In the distance, he could see to extremely massive sources of magic. He knew immediately who they were. It was obviously Joseph and Sheffield. Only a Void Mage and their familiar could ever be so powerful. The only other people who could possibly compare were square class mages, and even they paled in comparison.

Saito sighed, dreading having to fight those two again.

 **In Joseph's Palace**

"Lord Joseph, I have returned from my scouting mission." A woman said.

"Speak, my familiar." Joseph replied.

"I found three suspicious people on their way to the city. All three seemed to be skilled warriors, as they sensed my wolves the second I summoned them." Said Sheffield.

"Nothing you can't handle, my familiar. You may deal with them at your leisure." He said as he prepared to go to bed.

"That is not all, my lord." She continued, "One of them was able to trace the wolves' magic back to me. I made a hasty retreat, but…" She paused.

"But what?" Joseph said nonchalantly.

"The one who was able to track me bore the rune of the Left Hand of God on his hand." She finished.

Joseph was now more serious. "Are the firestones ready?"

Sheffield nodded. "Bidashal was already here, my lord. I informed him that you were busy and could not meet with him." She pulled the three red orbs from underneath her robes.

"What can I say? I needed that nap." Joseph said, chuckling. He thought to himself for several moments. "Do you think you can kill those three?" He asked her.

She was silent for a moment. "Perhaps I could kill the other two with ease, but defeating Gandalfr will be challenging."

"I see. Take one with you." Joseph said, only taking two of the firestones. "I have no doubt that you will defeat those three, but on the off chance that you find it too difficult, do not hesitate to use that firestone."

She bowed. "Understood, my lord."

He laid in his bed and took a deep breath. "You are dismissed. Do not come back until your mission is complete or the firestone is detonated."

"Yes, my lord." She said one last time.

She left him in his room and departed the palace. She summoned several of her gargoyles.

"Find them!" She ordered. They immediately dispersed into the city, searching for the three assassins. It was a large city, so it would take hours or possibly an entire day for them to be successful

 **In Saito's room**

Saito saw the large number of lights flying around the city in the distance. He knew immediately that they were Sheffield's, as there were white string like lines attaching them to a large reserve of magic. Saito knew it would be a long time before they could be found, so he let Shion and Alexandre sleep.

A few hours later, the sun began to rise. Shion woke up first. She tried to get up, but realized that someone's arms were wrapped around her. She turned her head and saw Alex fast asleep, his arms tightly wrapped around her. She started to blush and smiled slightly. She chose to stay in bed until he woke up, not wanting to disturb him.

He woke up a few minutes later. He was calm at first, but then quickly jumped off of the sofa they were sleeping on and bowed to Shion.

"I'm so sorry!" he said, "I couldn't help but hold you. Please don't be mad!"

She softly lifted his head off of the ground, as he was bowing extremely lowly. She looked into his eyes for several seconds before very softly kissing his cheek.

"Thank you for keeping me safe at night." She said softly, blushing more with every word. Alex slowly began to smile. He hugged her tightly. This time, however, instead of not responding in any way, Shion slowly hugged him back.

"What a touching thing to watch." Saito thought to himself. "Hey, guys!" he said out loud. Startled they quickly let go of each other and looked at him, blushing.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, really I am." Saito began, "We don't have time for that right now. Sheffield is after us now. She'll be searching this part of the city any second now."

"How could you possibly know that?" Shion asked.

Saito slowly touched the left side of his face. "I'll explain later. For now, I think we should leave the city. There are innocent people here that could get hurt if we were to fight in the city.

Shion, who by this time was staring directly at Saito's shining left eye, nodded. They quickly gathered their possessions and ran out of the city as quickly as possible, eventually stopping when they arrived at a secluded area of woods.

"This is far enough." Saito said. "Now, we just have to wait."

They sat there for several hours. Saito had deactivated his eye, as he was tired of everything having an orange tint to it. After the 4th hour, Alexandre pointed up at the sky.

"There!" He yelled.

In the sky was a gargoyle with glowing runes on its chest. A was quickly flying down at them. In an instant, Alex leapt up into the air, at least 25 feet, to meet it in mid air. With a single kick from his legs, he decapitated the monster. He landed safely on the ground. Saito was shocked to see Alex do this. He had never seen anything about him, other than his magic reserves, that would suggest that he was any kind of powerful. Shion as well smiled with her mouth wide open, finally impressed by one of Alex's feats.

Alex smiled at them rubbing the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. They praised Alex for several minutes before finally becoming serious again.

"No doubt there are more on their way." Shion said.

Saito turned his eye back on. Sure enough, hundreds, if not one thousand, gargoyles were flying in that direction.

"Around one thousand." Saito said to his companions. "Not so bad. I've dealt with worse." He said as he stretched his limbs and pulled Derf from his scabbard.

"Time for some action, Partner?" Derf said, his voice filled with excitement.

"Yep." Saito replied. He looked at his two allies. "Ready guys?"

Alexandre pulled his dagger from his coat and nodded. Shion put on her mask and pulled her sword from her scabbard. "Ready." She said.

With that, they prepared for battle as the first wave of gargoyles attacked.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well, that was the longest chapter I've ever written, but I enjoyed it. I hope you guys liked it too! Again, leave a review and tell me what you think. What would you like to see? What do you like so far? What do you dislike? What don't you want to see in the future? Make sure to tell me in some reviews. Also, don't hesitate to ask me questions too. I'll do my best to answer them. Thanks again for reading guys! Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13: Close Call

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Second chapter I'm writing in a row. I was so excited to keep writing the story, that I wrote this all night last night. I hope the effort was worth it! Enjoy chapter 13!**

 **Chapter 13: Close Call**

Saito, Alex, and Shion had been fighting Sheffield's gargoyles for several hours.

"There's no end to them! Saito, what do we do?!" Yelled Alex whilst fighting off 3 gargoyles at once.

They were all fatigued and had to finish the fight quickly.

Saito used his eye to look at the gargoyles with more detail. They each had a string of magic attaching them to their source, Sheffield. It took Saito several moments before he had an idea. He noticed that although they were attached to Sheffield with magic, they themselves had no orbs within them.

"Alex, Shion, I figured it out! We need to get to Sheffield as quickly as possible! They'll disappear that way!" He explained.

"There's no way we could make it past these gargoyles though!" Shion said while decapitating 4 gargoyles at once.

While fighting a battle of his own, Saito decided to use Derf to teleport to Sheffield's location.

"Derf, I need you to teleport us to Sheffield!" Yelled Saito.

"That will take a lot of magic, Partner!"

"Use my magic!" He said desperately.

"Got it!" Derf said. "Everyone grab Saito!"

Shion and Alex jumped at Saito. As soon as they touched him, they were teleported to another group of woods. About two soccer fields in front of them was an old church.

"She's in there." Derf said, sounding exhausted.

"Let's go!" Saito said. However, when he began to move, he collapsed onto his knees. His vision returned to normal, as he no longer had enough magic power left to sustain it. Shion and Alex rushed to his side.

"You can't continue to fight." Shion said. "Come on, we'll hide you in the woods until you recover."

Saito tried to protest, but he was too fatigued to move. Alex and Shion laid him behind some bushes.

"You two can't take her alone…" Saito said weakly.

"We'll be fine. Don't worry." Alex said, smiling.

Shion and Alex gave him a hug and then departed, leaving Saito safely hidden behind some bushes and trees. He could clearly see the church from his location.

Shion and Alex jumped onto the roof of the church, hoping to launch a surprise attack on Sheffield.

They slowly crawled into the building. It was dark and quiet. There was no one in the building. As they searched the building, Shion caught sight of a door to a cellar. She slowly moved closer to it. When she was about to open it, she paused. Something felt off. Just as she became suspicious, a sword thrust through the wood of the door, cutting a deep wound into her shoulder. She screamed in pain as she fell onto the ground.

Several gargoyles came out of the cellar, wielding several kinds of weapons. Alex quickly came to Shion's side and jumped back just as one of the gargoyle's swords landed in the spot where she had just been. The sword had slightly cut Alex's arm, but he was otherwise okay.

"Shion, are you okay?!" He asked. She didn't respond. She was in too much pain to form the words properly.

He kept dodging the gargoyle's attacks, but he couldn't strike back due to Shion being in his arms.

"Shit!" He thought to himself out loud. He had just had his leg cut by one of the gargoyles. It was, again, a light wound, but he knew that he couldn't keep dodging forever.

Meanwhile, outside, Saito was laying on the ground looking up at the sky. He had heard the scream from Shion inside, but he could barely move. He wasn't in pain, but his body was devoid of energy.

"Derf, Sheffield is in that building right?" He asked.

"Yes, Partner." Derf replied.

"Can you pinpoint her for me?"

Derf was silent for several seconds before speaking. "She's in a hidden room about 100 feet below the surface."

"Take me there." Saito said.

"What?! No! If you don't die from being teleported, then she'll kill you!" Derf argued.

"She won't be expecting me to appear so suddenly behind her. I'm sure she's aware that I'm not in the church, but she won't expect me to appear behind her. Besides…" He smiled and looked at the church. "If it's for their sake, I think I'm happy to die. Louise won't be too happy with me, huh?"

Derf was silent for a long time. "Very well, Partner. I'll do it. Forgive me, Louise."

Saito fed all of his power into Derf. It was only barely enough for the teleportation to work. Saito appeared in a room that was lit with candles. In the centre, Sheffield was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed. Saito hadn't known her to be one to meditate, so he figured that she must have summoned more gargoyles than she ever had before, requiring her to focus. Either way, it worked out well for Saito, as Sheffield didn't hear him slowly dragging himself closer to her, ready to kill her with Derf.

As Saito crawled closer ever so slowly, upstairs, Alex had reached his limit. He was severely wounded, having several cuts on his body. His movements had become much slower and less graceful. Shion was barely conscious, having lost a lot of blood. A gargoyle then managed to inflict a deep wound on Alex's arm, forcing him to drop Shion. It knocked him aside into a wall. He landed on the ground, unable to move. The same gargoyle picked him up by his neck and tensed it arm, prepared to kill him.

Saito, unaware of the situation transpiring upstairs, finally made it close enough. With all of his remaining strength, he heaved Derf into the air and brought him down as hard as he could. Sheffield was impaled directly in her chest. She took a big gasp as she felt the sharp pain. Saito made sure to pull Derf out of the wound, not wanting to give Sheffield an ironic way of killing him, as well as making sure she bled to death.

She slowly crawled away from Saito, coughing up blood. She eventually collapsed and rolled onto her back.

"You bastard!" She said, panting. "How…did you g-get in h-here?"

Saito crawled up against a wall and was now sitting up. "Like I'd ever tell you." He said, smiling.

She cursed him in her own language, but then began to laugh, making Saito feel uncomfortable.

"To think…" She said as she reached under her robes. "that I'd have to resort to actually using this. Just to deal with a few punks. She pulled, from under her robes, the firestone. Without hesitation, Saito threw Derf at her hand. It was a weak throw, but it was strong enough to knock the stone away, out of her reach.

As she did her best to reach for the stone to no avail, she began to cry. "You can't even let me…do this one thing for him?" She said, sobbing.

Saito felt extremely bad for her. She herself was not particularly evil. At the very least, she went through with all she did because of her love for Joseph, who never showed her any affection in return.

"I'm sorry, but he was using you. He's an evil man who never gave a damn about you. He only kept you around because you were useful to him." He said.

She began to cry more heavily when she heard his words.

"I'll kill him…to avenge you. I'm sorry we had to be enemies." These were the last words she heard from Saito. She was somewhat glad that he didn't hate her. "I'm sorry…" She said, before falling asleep forever. Saito shed a few tears for her. He genuinely despised killing people, especially if they had lived such sad lives as Sheffield did. He soon wiped away his tears when he remembered his comrades upstairs. He crawled to Derf and slowly made his way up the stairs, closing Sheffield's still open eyes on his way.

He was very worried, as it was completely silent. Not a voice or sound could be heard. It took several minutes for him to finally reach the top floor. As he crawled onto the floor, he saw several weapons scattered everwhere, presumably carried by gargoyles, who had disappeared when Sheffield was stabbed.

As he crawled over the floor, he saw movement in the corner of his eye. He at first thought it was a gargoyle. He went into a state of panic, but was relieved when he saw that it was just Alex. However, the relief soon went away when he paid closer attention to him. The gargoyle that held him by his neck had succeeded in stabbing him in his abdomen. The sword went straight through him, coming out from his back.

He paid no attention to Saito, who himself was slowly starting to lose consciousness. He saw Alex walk to another body on the ground, which Saito recognized as Shion due to her silver, albeit blood stained, hair. Alex fell on the ground next to her. It was the last thing Saito saw before falling unconscious.

 **In Joseph's Palace.**

"She should be back by now." Joseph thought to himself. It had been nearly a week since she had departed to fight the three intruders, and yet he could hadn't heard from her at all.

"I must make sure to punish her for this insolence." He said to himself as he sat in a warm bath, unaware that his Familiar had been dead for one week. He sat in the bath for several hours, eventually falling asleep. By the time he woke up, it was night time.

He walked to his bed and called one of the Palace guards.

"How are Sheffield's defenses around the palace?" He asked the guard.

"I told you already sir, they disappeared about a week ago. Every monster that guarded the palace disappeared." The guard responded. Joseph waved for the guard to go away.

"She didn't die did she?" He thought to himself. "My familiar is stronger than that. She should have detonated the Firestone if she was in trouble, so she must have deserted me. Filthy wretch!"

He poured himself several bottles of wine in a few hours, quickly becoming drunk. He soon collapsed on his bed and fell asleep. His sleep was not peaceful. He had nightmares about the brother he murdered and the niece that he treated so poorly.

He sat up wide awake only half an hour later. He shook his head, trying to get the memories of his nightmares out of his head. He poured more wine, in an attempt to drink his sorrows away.

 **In an unknown area of the forest**

Saito shot awake, sitting up immediately. He wasn't injured in any way, and simply felt like he had taken a much-needed nap. It was afternoon and the sun was on its way back down. He looked at his surroundings, which seemed familiar somehow. He was in a wooden tent. It was quite small, but it rather cozy, he thought.

"You're finally awake, Partner?" Said Derf, who was leaning on a wall in the corner.

"Yeah. What happened?" He asked. As he did, the memories of what happened at the church rushed back to him. He picked up Derf and ran out of the room. Outside, there was one other tent. He snuck close to it and took a peek inside. There, lying on a soft bed made of leaves, was Alexandre. Sitting next to him, looking extremely worried, was Shion.

When she noticed his presence, she immediately ran towards him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you so much!" She cried.

Saito was confused. "Uhh, for what?"

She looked up at him, with tears streaming down her face. "We would have died if you hadn't killed that woman!" Saito was embarrassed, but also happy that she was okay.

"Don't sweat it." He said nervously. "By the way, where are we? How did we end up here?"

She finally calmed down enough to speak to him. She explained that she woke up in the church, feeling extremely weak with her shoulder in a lot of pain. It was very dark, but she could make out one body lying next to her. Upon closer inspection, she had realized that it was Alex, who with his last strength had managed to wrap his arms around her. She was mortified when she saw the sword jutting out from his abdomen, but she didn't remove it, knowing that it was stopping the bleeding. She picked him up and was about to leave, but she tripped over another body. She quickly realized that it was Saito and dragged the two away into the forest with what little strength she had left. She slowly dragged them for several miles, wanting to get as far away from the church as possible before making a camp.

"You seemed to be just fine, so I never needed to treat you. It seemed like you just needed to rest. But Alex…" She said, quietly.

Saito immediately understood what she was talking about. He walked over to Alex. He was asleep and obviously alive, but Saito could see on his face that he was in great pain. He looked at Alex's stomach and saw that it had been wrapped in pieces of black cloth, which he identified as scraps of Shion's clothes.

"I've tried to help him all this time, but his wound is too serious. His organs are damaged and I don't know what else I can do with the little that we have." Shion said, beginning to sob.

Saito looked very seriously at the resting Alex, trying to think of a way that he could help him. He then remembered something. When he had been stabbed in the heart long ago, he was told that steam was emitted from his body, helping to heal the wound.

He looked at his left arm. He slowly removed the scraps of fabric covering Alex's wound. Shion watched on with terror. "What are you doing?! He'll die even more quickly!" She screamed.

Saito paid no attention to her. He put his hand directly on the wound and then closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the magic inside of him. Slowly, he managed to start moving the magic onto his arm and into his runes, which began to glow brightly. After a few minutes the wound on Alex's abdomen began to emit steam. Saito remained in that position with his eyes closed for over 5 hours. After this time, he finally opened his eyes.

He looked at Alex's wound. It had completely sealed itself. All that needed to happen was for it to heal entirely, which would simply be a matter of Alex resting for a few days with continued treatment from Saito. Shion, who had left to get water from a nearby creek, came back to Saito's side.

"What did you do?" She asked, confused.

Saito stood up. "I helped heal him. Wash his wound off and see how it looks. He should be fine now."

She poured water onto his stomach, washing away the blood that had dried. His stomach looked as good as new, albeit with a massive scar stretching across it. Shion could barely speak any words. She was in shock.

"He's going to live..?" She asked shakily.

Saito nodded. "Yeah. Just give him some time to wake up. It'll be a while, but he'll be back to himself in no time."

Shion jumped up suddenly and hugged Saito, causing him to fall on the ground. She was sobbing into his chest, overjoyed that she'd get the chance to talk to Alex again. When she finally got off of Saito he tried to stand up, but was unable to. Healing Alex had taken a lot out of him, so he could barely move.

Shion helped him sit down on a log. Night was falling, so they lit a campfire and sat in silence, waiting for Alex to wake up. Several hours later, late into the night, they noticed that Alex began to stir. They ran and stood over him. After a few minutes, his eyes slowly opened. It didn't register in his head that Saito and Shion were standing next to him.

After a few moments, he suddenly started having a fit. "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" He screamed repeatedly, like a small child. As he had his fit, one of his flailing hands accidentally hit Shion's cheek. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to make him stop and realize that she was standing next to him, smiling. She hugged him tightly, something that he didn't expect of her. She slowly pulled back and looked into his eyes. Alex looked over at Saito, who was watching the scene before him with a happy expression on his face.

"Hey, Saito. Is this that perfect moment you were talking about?" He asked.

Saito nodded. Alex looked back into Shion's eyes.

"I love you." He said softly.

Her eyes welled up with tears at his words. He sat up, with much difficulty, and hugged her. When he pulled away, they stared at each other for several seconds before, finally, sharing their first kiss. They remained locked together for several seconds before pulling away.

"I love you too." Shion said, with confidence.

Shion urged Alex to rest, which he reluctantly agreed to. Shion sat with him, stroking his long black hair until he finally fell asleep. She then walked to Saito, who was sitting on a log, staring into the campfire.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him as she sat next to him.

He looked into the fire while addressing her. "Joseph. He'll be making a move soon. I have to kill him. I made a promise to Sheffield that I'd avenge her for how he treated her."

She didn't prod any further. She found it noble that he would try and avenge his enemy, although she didn't understand exactly why he was doing it. A thought then crossed her mind, making her feel depressed. Saito noticed the change in her mood.

"What's wrong?" He asked, still looking into the fire.

"Saito, I need to tell you something. The mission that I was given by Albrecht III of Germania." She said, quite seriously. This caught Saito's attention.

"What about it?" He asked.

"The mission he gave me was…after we succeed in killing Joseph, to eliminate you as well. I'm…I'm sorry." She said, full of guilt.

Saito nodded. "I see. Why are you telling me? You know you won't be able to complete the mission now right?"

She was silent for a few moments. "I-I don't want to complete the mission!" She finally said. "I know you probably don't trust me now that I've told you, and you have no reason to believe anything I say, but after being with you and Alex this whole time, I've come to see you as a close friend. I couldn't possibly bring myself to do it."

Saito sighed. "Jeez, don't get so worked up about it. I know you won't kill me." He said as he looked back into the fire. "If you wanted to kill me, you could have easily have done it while I was asleep at the church. You could have used one of the gargoyle's weapons to easily make it look like the enemy slew me. But you didn't. You dragged me from the church and brought me here. You even went so far as to tell me your mission. I trust you completely."

She was shocked for a few moments, but then smiled and looked into the fire with him. "Thank you." She said quietly.

After a few hours, they decided that they should rest as well. Shion carried the still sleeping Alexandre into her own tent to make sure nothing happened to him. Saito went to his own tent and laid on his bed.

"Proud of the kid, are we?" Derf said.

"Yeah. I'm happy for them." Saito said, smiling.

"Now though," he said, becoming very serious. "We have one more thing to do before we can go home."

"Right. It won't be easy, but with Sheffield gone, it'll be much easier than it could have been." Derf said.

Saito nodded. "Right. We took down the Queen and her pawns. Now, we just have to take down the King."

 **Author's Notes**

 **Well, that's the end of Chapter 13. It was a blast to write. As always, please, please, please with a cherry on top, leave a review. Tell me what you guys think and would/wouldn't like to see. As always, have a fantastic day and, I'll catch you next time!**


	14. Chapter 14: The Trist-Gallian War Begins

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I just want to point out that I think something strange is happening with ff notifications. I don't receive them when I'm supposed to, so it's a little irritating. Anyway, enjoy chapter 14!**

 **Chapter 14: The Trist-Gallian War Begins**

Saito, Shion, and Alex remained in their camp in the woods for a few days. Every few hours, Saito would help heal Alex, accelerating his recovery time. Shion had begun to spend an increasing amount of time with Alex, much to his own pleasure.

One day, as Alex slept, Saito took the opportunity to have a conversation with Shion.

"Hey, I need to ask you something." He said as she was cleaning her hair.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Where are you from? You look just like a Japanese person, but your features are strange." He said, bluntly.

She paused for several seconds. "I don't remember where I'm from. I only remember waking up in a village. Everyone hated me for some reason, so they cast me away." She said after several moments.

Saito felt bad for her. "So…you don't even know who your parents are? Or if you have siblings?"

She shook her head. "I don't even know how old I am. It doesn't matter now though, I feel happy now that I have you and Alex." She said, smiling at him.

He smiled back at her, but still felt pain in his heart.

"One more question." He said. "Your sword, how did you get it? It's almost exactly the same as mine. But I got mine in my world."

She looked at her sword and his. They were the same, save for the different jewels in their hilts. "I don't know." She said. "The villagers gave it to me when I was exiled, saying it was cursed."

Saito nodded. "Thanks for answering my questions." He said as he sat down next to her. "So…you and Alex huh? Who would've thought. You guys seem like polar opposites."

She stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's so energetic and playful. He acts like a little kid, but you're much more mature." He said, looking up into the sky.

"I suppose." She said, going back to washing her hair. "Aren't you and you opposites from your…uhhh."

"Louise isn't necessarily opposite from me, but she's certainly different." Saito said. "Still, I can't wait to get to the point that we used to be at. I was going to propose to her, but I was somehow sent back to my world."

"You have to invite Alex and I to your wedding when the time comes." Shion said, smiling.

"I could say the same to you." Saito said, making her blush.

"We're not there yet! But…maybe some day." She said as she looked downwards, blushing.

"Some day, huh? That's reassuring!" Said Alex, who had snuck behind them. The shock from hearing his voice made Shion fall into the creek she was washing her hair in.

"I was kidding!" She said in self defense.

Alex helped her out of the creek.

"What are you doing walking around anyway?" She asked him.

He lifted her into the air, spinning her around. "I've never felt better! I've got a really ugly scar now though." He said, laughing.

He set her down and gave her a kiss for several seconds. He then turned his attention to Saito.

"Thank you, Saito. I would have died without you." He said, bowing. Saito didn't like being treated with that amount of respect.

"It was nothing, really." He said, laughing nervously.

Alex stood back up. "How did you learn how to heal though? I know you're a special kind of familiar, but to my knowledge, I thought Gandalfr was only meant to guard his void mage, not heal."

Saito was quiet for a few seconds, and then began to take off his shirt, revealing his left arm. "These runes appeared when I became Louise's familiar for the second time. I don't know the exact details, but they're apparently unique to me. If I feed magic into them, they allow me to do certain things. So far, I only know how to heal."

Alex looked confused. "Wait, since when could you use magic other than that in the Gandalfr rune? Did you go to a school to learn how to use it."

Saito thought of how Gandalfr had unlocked Saito's reserves of magic. He decided that it was probably best not to mention it.

"I don't know how I learned to use it. I never attended a magic school. It just sort of happened a few days ago." He said, doing his best to sound genuine.

Alex stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds, then went back to his child-like nature. "Okay then!" He said. He lifted Shion onto his shoulders and started to run around their camp with her. Saito smiled and watched them play for a few minutes.

After a little while, they both came to him, looking serious.

"Saito," Shion began, "We need to complete the mission."

Saito, who was laying down on a patch of grass, nodded. "Yes. Soon enough, he'll make his move and destroy parts of Halkegina."

"How could he destroy entire cities though?" Alex asked.

Saito pulled a red orb from under his clothes. "This is a firestone. We have a weapon like it in my world. It's so deadly that all of the nations of my world agreed to make it illegal to use in war. This is similar, but slightly weaker. As a void mage, Joseph possesses the ability to detonate it. I suspect his plans were compromised by Sheffield's death."

They looked at the firestone closely. They could hardly believe that it was capable of such vast levels of destruction.

"We should get going then." Alex said.

The other two nodded and began to prepare. They destroyed their camp, making sure to make sure no one could know they were there.

"How do we find Joseph?" Shion asked as they ran through the forest towards Joseph's palace.

"Leave it to me." Saito said. He stopped running for a moment and closed his left eye. After a few seconds, he opened it, revealing it's bright orange glow. The Royal Palace was at least 10 kilometers away, but Saito could easily see the glowing orbs that represented living people. There was no large presence in the palace, but there was on flying through the air several dozens of kilometers away. It was surrounded by several smaller orbs, all grouped together in the air.

"He's flying away from the city." Saito said. "He has several soldiers with him in 4 ships. He's headed northwest."

He turned off his eye and looked at Shion and Alex, who were wondering how Saito knew all of that.

"I don't have time to explain right now. I don't know much about the geography of Halkeginia. What country is northwest of Gallia?" He said quickly.

"It's Tristain. Why?" Shion said.

"Shit!" Saito said to himself. He pulled Derf out of his scabbard. "Derf, can you teleport us onto that ship?!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't partner. I can't be that precise from so far away. If I teleport you into the air, you might fall to your death." He replied.

"Then take us to Tristain! The academy! Take us to the Academy!" He said, his voice filled with urgency.

"Alright! Everyone grab on!" Derf said. Shion and Alex held onto Saito. They closed their eyes as the strange feeling of teleportation came over them. When the feeling stopped, they opened their eyes. Saito immediately recognized where he was. They were in the Vestri Court of the academy.

"Good! Let's go!" He said to Shion and Alex. From here, he knew his way to their next destination, Henrietta's Palace. They ran as quickly as possible. As they ran out of the gates to the school, they passed by Guiche and Malicorne. Saito paid no attention to them. Just as quickly as they saw him, he and his two companion disappeared over the horizon.

"Umm…" Began Malicorne.

"Not our problem Malicorne. Just ignore it." Guiche said, as he and Malicorne walked into the school.

 **In Henrietta's Palace**

Henrietta sat in her bedroom, knitting a hat. She had been extremely worried about the success of Saito's mission, and knitting appeared to be the only way that she could suppress her feelings of dread.

As she was knitting, she heard a commotion in the palace. Agnes, who was guarding her in her room, was about to open the door. Just as she did, Saito, Shion, and Alex burst through the door. They were panting heavily.

"Henrietta!" Saito yelled, panting. Some guards came from elsewhere in the palace and tried to restrain him.

"Let him go!" Ages ordered.

"But ma'am..!" One of the guards began.

"No buts! Leave them be!" She asserted.

The guards sheepishly left Saito and his friends alone. When they finally left, they turned towards Henrietta and bowed.

"Your Majesty," Saito began, "we have failed in the mission you assigned to us. Joseph is alive and he is headed this way with a small army."

Henrietta looked worried. "I see. And what of his familiar?"

"I killed her." Saito replied.

Henrietta smiled at him. "You have done your job well, Chevalier de Hiraga." She looked at Shion and Alex, who were kneeling towards her and looking at the ground. "You two have done equally well. You are forever welcome in Tristain for your services."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." They both said.

"Unfortunately, it seems that I still require your assistance. What do you three suggest we do about this impending attack?" She said.

They all stood up and looked at each other. After a few moments discussing what they could do, Saito presented Henrietta with their decision.

"We think it's best to gather Tristain's armed forces. However, we should wait to be attacked. That way, the public will not be angry with us for going to war." He said.

"I see." Henrietta said after several minutes of pondering. "How far away is the enemy?"

"Approximately 500 kilometers away from the city closest to the Gallian border." Shion said. "It will be approximately one day before he reaches said city."

Henrietta thought for a few moments. "That's not enough time to gather our armies. They've been stationed near the Germanian border for the past few weeks."

Saito looked at her with surprise. "Why the Germanian border?" He asked.

"Albrecht has requested joint training programs between Germania's armies and ours." She responded.

"I see." Saito said. He had completely forgotten that he would have to confront Albrecht as well after this was all over.

"I will assemble what soldiers I can. Gather skilled students from the Academy to fight as well, as long as they are not first years. I place you in command of whoever you gather to fight with you." Henrietta said. She pulled a paper from her nightstand and signed it. She handed it to Saito, who examined it closely. It was a royal doctrine declaring him an official general of the military, giving him the authority to recruit people as soldiers if needed.

"Congratulations, General." She said, teasing him. "Agnes will assist you. Now, be on your way."

Saito bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Shion and Alex bowed as they left the palace. They were given a carriage to take to the Academy. As they rode inside, Alex and Shion inspected the document that Saito was given.

"General, huh? You're really moving up in the world." Alex said, laughing at Saito.

Shion looked very serious. "How are a bunch of students supposed to help us fight an army? They're not like us. The only ones in that entire school who could possibly help are your void mage and the professors."

Saito thought about this for a few moments. "You're right, but any firepower we can get is useful. After all, we can't just go in by ourselves this time."

Shion sighed and laid her head on Alex's shoulder, choosing to sleep until they arrived at the Academy. When they finally arrived, night had fallen. Students still wandered around the school. Saito and his friends immediately went to Osmond's quarters.

They knocked on the door and heard a quiet "Come in!" Inside, Osmond was writing a paper on his desk.

"Ah, Saito! Long time no see! How are you?" He said once he looked up and saw Saito.

"I'm doing fine, Osmond. These are my friends, Shion and Alexandre." He said, introducing his companions. Alex bowed and Shion removed her mask, slightly nodding her head. Osmond became red when he saw her.

He grabbed Saito and whispered into his ear. "How do you think Louise will react to…this?"

"She's Alex's girlfriend, Osmond. No worries." He whispered back.

"Of course, of course!" Osmond said. He cleared his throat. "So, how may I help you? I know you wouldn't come by to see an old man such as myself without a reason."

Saito pulled out the royal document that Henrietta had given him. "I need you to assemble all students in the Academy who aren't first years. Joseph of Gallia is coming to Tristain with a small army, but Tristain's main military force is performing training exercise at the Germanian border. The students at this academy are sufficiently powerful to deal with Joseph's normal soldiers. You and the other professors are powerful enough to deal with his mages. Shion, Alexandre, and I are strong enough to deal with Joseph himself."

Osmond nodded. "I'd ask more questions, but it seems that it's pointless now. I'll have the students assemble in front of the Academy's gate."

Saito nodded and left the room with Shion and Alex. They went outside and stood at the gate of the Academy. Students started gathering there within a few minutes, wondering why they had to get up at night.

At the back of the crowd, Saito spotted Louise. Seeing her again brought a smile to his face. After a few minutes, Osmond came to talk to them.

"Okay, everyone is here. You can tell them." He said.

Saito nodded. He cleared his throat and began his speech. "My name is Hiraga Saito. By order of Queen Henrietta, I am to recruit all of you into Tristain's military. Joseph de Gallia will attack the city of Liège with a small army in approximately 1 day. I will be your General for the duration of this war."

The students murmured for several seconds before hearing his voice again. "You are dismissed! Please prepare carefully. We will leave for Liège in 5 hours."

The students ran back to their respective rooms. Some started to cry, while others were excited. Saito walked through the courtyard. He wasn't going anywhere in particular, he just wanted to find a way to calm his nerves. As he walked he heard his name being called. He turned around and saw Louise running straight at him.

She hugged him tightly, making him fall to the ground.

"It's nice to see you too…" Saito said, slightly being choked by her hug.

"What happened while you were gone?" She asked, when she finally pulled away from him.

"A lot happened, I suppose." Saito said, thoughtfully. "First and foremost, I can use a little magic now."

"What? How?" Louise asked, not understanding how this was possible. She was under the belief that only aristocrats and magical creatures could use magic. Not so-called plebeians like Saito

"I'll explain that later. I also made some new friends. And…we killed Joseph's familiar." He said the last part with a very sad look on his face. Louise couldn't quite understand why he would feel sorry about that, but she assumed something had happened that made Saito feel sympathetic.

"So, Joseph is the only threat now, right?" She asked, hopefully.

Saito nodded. "For now, yes. After that, I can focus entirely on you." He gave her a kiss, which she happily returned. They remained locked together for several seconds until they were interrupted.

"So this is the lucky lady huh?!"

It was Alex. He and Shion had come to find Saito.

"Hey, young lady! Your boyfriend saved my life! Why don't you give him a little treat later." Alex said, winking. Louise blushed and hid her face in her hands. Shion hit Alex's head.

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive him. He is quite dense at times." She said to Louise. "My name is Shion. Pleased to meet you."

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. It's a pleasure to meet you." Louise said as she bowed.

"Vallière?" Shion said as she looked at Louise. "So you're from that family. The privileged life must be so nice." She said, laughing.

Louise and Shion engaged in conversation, leaving Saito and Alex to talk among themselves.

"Looks like they like each other." Alex said, smiling.

"Yeah. It's like they already knew each other." Saito replied.

"Hey, Saito. What do you say after this is all over, we go on a vacation? Just the four of us. We can go some place nice to relax." Alex said, being uncharacteristically serious.

Saito was surprised. "That sounds great." He said, smiling at Alex.

They hugged each other. Although neither one said it, both knew that they could die in the next 48 hours, and each had someone important to them that they could lose. They had never felt closer before. They spent the next several hours discussing where they should go for their planned vacation. They eventually decided that it would be best to go to a beach somewhere, although they would figure out the details later.

They made their way to the gate of the school. Louise and Shion were already there. Students had begun to gather, some looking confident while others looked terrified. Osmond arrived with the other professors, followed by Tabitha, Montmorency, Guiche, Kirche, and Malicorne.

"He's so manly now isn't he?" Kirche said to Tabitha, who was reading a book.

"He is a male who grows with time, so yes." Tabitha replied, seeing everything from a scientific standpoint. Although, secretly, she agreed with Kirche.

"Everyone is here. We're ready." Osmond told Saito.

Saito looked at Louise, Shion, and Alexandre.

"Ready?" He asked.

They all nodded.

Saito looked at the crowd of hundreds of students. "Let's go!" He yelled.

They marched into the night toward the city of Liège, ready for the battle that waited for them.

 **Author's notes:**

 **First of all, thank you guys soooo much for over 500 visits and over 2000 views. It was only a few days ago when we had half as many views and visits as we have now! Thank you so much! I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 14! Leave a review if you did! As always, have a great day!**


	15. Chapter 15: War's End

**Author's Notes:**

 _ **Hey guys! Time really flies by! I can't believe I'm already writing the 15** **th** **chapter of this story. Lots of people have been showing an awesome amount of support, of which I'm very grateful. This chapter might be quite long, so you'd better get comfortable before reading. Now, enjoy chapter 15!**_

 **Chapter 15: War's End**

Joseph sat on a chair, the two Firestones in his hand. He was deep in thought.

"She abandoned me," he said to himself, "So why...?"

A soldier who came to see him interrupted his thoughts.

"Lord Joseph, we will reach the city of Liège in approximately 4 hours." He said.

Joseph nodded. "Thank you."

The soldier was taken aback by Joseph saying that, but bowed and left the room. Joseph poured himself a glass of wine, anxiously waiting for the 4 hours to pass.

 **30 minutes outside of the city of Liège**

Saito and his small army of magic students had marched for more than 12 hours towards Liège. They were now less than ten miles outside of the city gates. They kept marching at a steady pace before they eventually reached the gates.

Saito turned around to address his army.

"King Joseph will attack this city in only a few hours, so we need to be quick. I need everyone to stand in groups depending on your magical affinity!" He said. All of the mages started to spread apart until 4 distinct groups began to form. When everyone was on their respective groups, Saito took a deep breath and started to give his orders.

"Tabitha, you are to lead the wind mages. Use your magic to make sure everyone in the city is aware of the attack. Guiche, you and the rest of the earth mages should begin digging tunnels underground for civilians to escape. Kirche, I put you in charge of all the fire mages. Go into the city to gather its soldiers. Stand guard at every corner of the city and send a flare into the sky when you spot the enemy. As soon as you do, the rest of the mages will arrive to assist you in attacking them. Montmorency, you and the water mages will be in charge of any medical attention we may need. Understood?"

The leaders he appointed all nodded.

"Alright." He turned to Louise, Shion, Alex, and Osmond. "You four should come with me. I'm going to try and kill Joseph, so I'll definitely need your help."

They all nodded, itching to end the conflict as quickly as possible. Saito smiled at them, then turned back around to his army.

"Okay, you are dismissed!" He said. All of the students immediately rushed into the city to do their jobs. Guiche and his earth mages began digging tunnels into the city. Kirche stationed fire mages at high points around the city to scout for Joseph. Tabitha and her wind mages moved swiftly through the city, informing people that they had to evacuate. Montmorency stationed water mages next to each fire mage that Kirche had ordered, in case they became injured. Osmond told the professors he brought with him to assist the students, depending on their affinity.

Saito, Louise, Shion, Alex, and Osmond then went to a large building in the center of the city. They went to the roof and sat down.

"This is it…" Alex said, holding Shion close to him. "After this, we can all relax."

Saito sighed and looked up at the night sky. "Yeah. It'll be great. Maybe then, Louise, I'll..." He paused, looking up at the two glowing moons in the sky.

"You'll what?" Louise asked.

"Louise, do you think it's weird how I know so much about you even though you've only known me for a few months now?" Saito asked, still looking at the sky. Shion and Alex were having a conversation of their own with Osmond, so they didn't notice what he was saying.

"Well, at first it made me a little uncomfortable," Louise replied, "but now, it sort of makes me happy."

"I see." Saito said. He stood up and held her hands. "I don't think I've said this to you this time around but, I love you."

Louise's eyes widened as she heard his words. He pulled her closer to himself and slowly gave her a kiss. After a few seconds, she slowly closed her eyes, returning his kiss. They remained together for a long time before pulling apart for air.

"I love you." Louise said, smiling and looking into Saito's eyes. Saito stroked her hair. They're moment, however, was interrupted by clapping behind Saito. Alex, Osmond, and even Shion were applauding Saito and Louise's moment.

"Hey guys, come on. Don't do that." Saito said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Louise, rather strangely, was smiling while holding on to Saito's arm, although her face was quite red.

Alex spent the next several hours teasing Saito, while Louise and Shion discussed their love interests.

"Hey Saito," Alex said. "What were you going to say earlier about Louise?"

Saito looked away from Alex. "Oh, uhh…it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Alex put his head over Saito's shoulder like a small child would, staring at his face. "Come on. I won't tell. Just let me in on it."

Saito sighed. "Fine, but you better not tell anyone!" He looked around himself to make sure no one was watching, then slowly pulled a small white box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a beautiful, silver ring. It was rather simple, but elegant. There was nothing extravagant about it except for one thing. In the center was a large, pink gem. On the inside of the ring, Louise's name was carved into the metal.

"You're going to propose to her?!" Alex said, barely able to keep his voice down.

Saito nodded. "She's the only girl for me. I already know that. I couldn't stand to live without her, so I'm going to propose once we're on vacation. Don't tell anyone, okay? Even Shion."

"Even Shion, what?" Said a voice behind them. Shion was standing a few feet behind them with Louise. She had only heard the last part of their conversation and had no idea what Saito planned. Both Alex and Saito backed away extremely quickly.

"Nothing! Nothing!" They both said as they laughed nervously.

"Saito, what are you hiding?" Louise said. A dark aura seemed to envelope the too girls as a demented twinkle shone in their eyes. Just as Saito and Alex were about to be punished, a ball of fire was sent into the air.

"The signal…" Saito said. "We have to go, now!"

They all rushed in the direction of the signal. On their way, they could already see several explosions as the battle began. When they finally arrived, they saw that entire area of the city on fire. Joseph's soldiers were attempting to overrun the city, but they could not deal with the fire mages stationed in the area.

"Shion, Alex, you guys go and take down as many soldiers as you can until our reinforcments arrive from the rest of the city. Osmond, you and the rest of the professors are far more powerful than the students. Decimate their soldiers and, when you can, focus fire on the 5 hovering air ships."

They all nodded and departed the roof they were standing on. Saito could see dozens of soldiers killed in a number of different ways as Shion and Alex tore their way through the enemy forces. Massive fire, earth, wind, and water spells further inflicted damage on the enemy from Osmond and the other professors.

"Saito, are you going to fight as well?" Asked Louise, who was still standing next to him.

"Yeah. I need you to do something too." He said.

"What is it?" Louise asked, somewhat worried.

"I'm going to draw Joseph out from behind his army." Saito said, "If you get a clear shot at him, I need you to cast your explosion. You should probably start casting it now, since it will have to be pretty strong."

"I can't…" Louise said, sadly. "I was only able to cast the explosion before because of what Cromwell did. I never want to cast it again." She started to tear up as she was speaking. Saito sympathized with her. He couldn't begin to imagine what she must have gone through.

As tears began to flow down her eyes, Saito gave her a deep kiss. She remained startled for several seconds. When he pulled away, he smiled at her, looking into her pink eyes.

"I believe in you." He said. "I'm not going to let you get hurt. As your familiar and as one who loves you more than anything, I will protect you."

Louise began to blush. Soon, her eyes became blank and she raised her wand. She began to cast the spell that might save their lives. Saito picked her up and took her to the center of the city. He perched her on a roof top as she was still casting her spell. He looked down and saw Guiche making his way to the battlefield.

"Hey, Guiche!" Saito yelled, grabbing Guiche's attention.

"What is it, Saito?" Guiche asked.

"I need you to make some golems to protect Louise. She's vulnerable right now since she's casting a powerful spell. Gather a few mages and protect her." Saito explained.

Guiche nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "Right! What about you, though?"

Saito pulled Derf from his scabbard. "I'm going to fight. Don't worry, I'll put a good word in for you once this is all over."

Guiche smiled at Saito. They gave each other a high five, and then in a flash, Saito had disappeared, moving extremely quickly to the battlefield. Guiche immediately gathered any mages he could see, telling them Saito's orders. In a matter of moments, a shield of water and earth surrounded Louise.

At the battlefield, Joseph's mages had begun to turn the tide once they entered the battle. They had far more experience than the Academy students, who had begun to give ground. Shion and Alex, staying close together, did what they could against them. They killed dozens upon dozens of them, but there seemed to be no end to their numbers. Eventually, they too had to retreat.

"Damn it!" Alex said, as he and Shion were hiding behind a building. "There are so many of them. We'll have to keep retreating for now."

Just as they were about to fall back further, they saw Saito running towards the enemy.

"Saito!" Shion screamed, trying to warn him about his impending doom. This distracted Saito. A blast of fire magic hit him, throwing him back several feet. He lay still on the ground for several moments, making Alex and Shion very worried. However, he soon got up, looking uninjured.

"Wow, that was a close one." He said, stretching his back. "Good thing you can absorb magic, eh derf?"

"You're an idiot, Saito." Derf said, calmly.

"Yeah, yeah. Right!" Saito said. In a few moments he ran towards the enemy mages. They attempted to send several spells his way, but he easily dodged them. He incapacitated the first line of mages, making sure not to kill them. In less than ten minutes, Saito had taken out more than half of the enemy mages, giving the students a boost of morale. They charged Joseph's army in full force, with Shion and Alex rejoining the fight as well.

With his army now motivated, Saito pulled back to rest a little bit. After a little while, he looked up at the lead ship of the invasion force.

"What is Joseph doing?" He thought to himself.

 **In Joseph's command room**

Joseph sat in his room, waiting on news of the attack. The fight had been going on for more than an hour now, and he was becoming impatient. He needed to know whether he could use a firestone now, or whether he should save them for later.

After a few moments, a soldier came into the room.

"You have an update for me?" Joseph said, nonchalantly.

"We have lost 70% of our forces sir! The enemy has lost virtually nothing! There is a man down there. He was inhuman! He took out dozens of our mages like they were nothing!" The soldier said.

Joseph was now standing up. "A single young man, you say? Is he a foreigner? A strange man with black hair and a single blue eye?"

The soldier nodded.

"So he's the one who killed her. Killed my familiar!" Joseph thought to himself.

He looked at the soldier, who was awaiting his orders. "Tell our men to fall back." He said.

The soldier nodded and quickly left the room. Joseph looked down at the two firestones on his desk. He thought for several minutes before finally, he picked them up and put them under his robes. He then walked out of his quarters and onto the deck of his ship.

 **On the battlefield in Liège**

Saito was watching the battle unfold from a rooftop. He was proud of all the students and how well they were handling their first real battle. However, he then noticed that Joseph's men began to retreat in full, without bothering to attack the students in the process. The students began to cheer, believing it was over. Saito, however, knew that something was wrong.

"Partner! Above you!" Derf suddenly exclaimed. Saito looked up. He saw Joseph standing on the bow of one of his ships, holding a glowing red orb. He held it for a few seconds, muttering something, then dropped it down to the city. Saito immediately knew what was going to happen.

"Everyone hide! Earth mages, create barriers to protect everyone! Anyone close to any buildings, hide immediately!" He shouted. Shion and Alex immediately his behind a row of buildings. Everyone else, rather hesitantly did as they were told. Saito jumped down into the building whose roof he was on. Just as he touched the ground, the world around him turned a bright white. A loud boom was heard outside. The Firestone had detonated.

Saito laid on the ground. He felt a massive amount of heat and pressure pass over him. He could feel the ground shake and buildings fall, as if an earthquake had just hit the city. After a few seconds, it was all over. Saito stood up and looked around, covered in dust and debris. The building he had been in was flattened. The top floors had been blown away and the walls charred into a smooth glass surface from the heat.

Saito looked outside. It didn't seem like anyone had died, but several students had severe burns all across their bodies. At least 80% of the students were incapacitated and unable to fight. The other 20%, although capable of fighting, were also injured badly. What few water mages that remained did their best to heal the injuries, but it was nowhere near enough. In the chaos, Shion and Alex had managed to find Saito. Alex had light burn wounds on his arms and back, but was otherwise okay. Shion was completely unharmed, as Alex had shielded her from whatever damage came their way.

"There's no way the students can keep fighting!" Alex said. He winced a little from his wounds. Saito didn't say anything. He was looking directly at Joseph, anger in his eyes. He simply touched Alex's back. In a few moments, his wounds began to heal, until they disappeared entirely. Saito then looked at his sword.

"Derf, take me up there." He said. He looked at Shion and Alex. "What's left of Joseph's army will come back to secure their victory. You guys have to hold them off. Gather whoever you can who can still fight. Tell them to help you. Osmond is surely alive and well, so he and the other professors will help you as well. Good luck."

With that, he disappeared. Shion and Alex wanted to protest, but he never gave them a chance, so they followed his orders. They gathered all of the students who could still fight, including Tabitha, Kirche, and Guiche. Montmorency was in charge of healing the wounded, while Malicorne had been incapacitated by the firestone. Just as Saito predicted, Osmond arrived as well along with Colbert and 5 other professors. 3 of which were fire mages, while the other two were wind mages.

"Where's Saito?" Osmond asked.

"He's gone to fight Joseph." Alex replied. "He told us that Joseph's army will be back, so stay on your guard."

"He went off to fight Joseph on his own?!" Said Osmond in shock.

Alex and Shion nodded and said nothing. Osmond looked up into the sky. "God bless him."

They stood silently for several moments until they spotted Joseph's army. They had returned, just as Saito had predicted. Without saying anything, Alex and Shion rushed into the enemy forces. There were only a few hundred now, as Saito and the other students and professors managed to incapacitate or kill several of them. Osmond and the other professors launched spell after spell into the enemy from range, making the jobs of Alex and Shion much easier.

 **On Joseph's ship**

As Joseph watched the destruction he caused, he heard his guards on his ship fall one by one to the ground. When Joseph turned around, he saw all of his guards on the ground, unconscious. Standing just a few dozen feet away was Saito. He looked extremely angry and said nothing to Joseph. After a few seconds of silence, Joseph disappeared. Saito immediately activated his ocular power. He could see the large orb of magic within Joseph move quickly behind him.

Saito turned and guarded Joseph's attack.

"What?!" Joseph thought to himself, "No. It's a fluke. It has to be. He got lucky, that's all."

Reassured, he attempted to sneak above Saito. He quickly leapt into the air, disappearing from sight. Just when he thought he was going to strike him, Saito quickly guarded his attack and parried him, forcing Joseph to retreat. Saito had inflicted a shallow wound onto Joseph's arm.

"How are you able to see me?!" Joseph yelled at him.

Saito remained silent, a steely determination present in his eyes.

"Is this how you acted when you killed Sheffield?" Joseph said, quietly. "Did she talk to you, but you ignored her?"

These words triggered Saito. "Like you actually cared about her!" He screamed.

Joseph used this moment of distraction to his advantage. He appeared behind Saito and managed to land a solid hit on him before he could retreat. A deep gash now stretched across his back.

"She loved you with all her heart, but you treated her like trash! Like she was just another object you could play with!" Saito said, fuming with rage.

"I loved her!" Joseph screamed. "But…I had other priorities. Emotions don't matter until I succeed in rebuilding this world!"

"You're full of shit!" Saito yelled. He charged at Joseph with immense speed. Joseph only barely managed to dodge him. They began to attack each other back and forth, each one fueled by their anger. However, no matter how much either one tried, they were at a complete stalemate. It would take more than anger alone for either one to attain victory.

 **On the battlefield of Liège**

Alex, Shion, Osmond, and the others had all worked harder than ever. After the detonation of the firestone, they had been fighting Joseph's army for at least an hour and were now starting to gain the upper hand. Slowly, enemy mages began to fall. Either from being hit by one of Alex, Shion, Osmond, or the remaining student's attacks, or from exhaustion. Eventually, when there were just a few mages left still standing, they stopped attacking.

One enemy mage walked forward towards Alex, who was the furthest forward. When the mage got within ten feet, he got on his knees and bowed.

"We surrender!" He said. Alex could hear the pain in the man's voice. "We cannot win this battle. Please, accept our surrender, and we will fight against you no longer."

Alex looked a little dumbfounded. He had never been surrendered to before, so this was a new experience. He looked back at his allies. Osmond nodded at him, reassuringly. Alex looked down at the now crying enemy mage. He held out his hand and helped him off the ground.

"We accept your surrender." Alex said, smiling at him. "We'll help heal you and your allies. Just lay your weapons down, and we can work together."

"Of course! Thank you so much!" The man said. All of the former enemy mages laid down their weapons. They began to tend to the wounds of the injured on both sides. Alex collapsed in exhaustion. Shion, equally tired, sat next to him.

"Looks like we've won, Alexandre." She said, smiling.

"For the most part, yeah. But…" He looked up at the airship Saito had gone to. "Saito is still up there. I wonder how he's doing…" He said.

"We should go and help him." Shion said. "But, how do we get up there?"

"We can't." Said Osmond, who had walked towards them. "We didn't bring any dragons with us to this battle. All we can do now is pray."

They all looked towards the sky with their faces contorted with worry.

 **On Joseph's air ship**

Joseph and Saito had been fighting for more than 2 hours. Both of them were covered in cuts and bruises. They were both extremely fatigued. Saito could no longer sustain his eye and Joseph could no longer use Acceleration to out maneuver Saito. As they both stayed away from each other, regaining their breath, Joseph noticed that everything was quiet. There were no battle cries or explosions. The only sound was of the wind.

Both he and Saito looked over the edge of the ship. There, they saw the members of both factions working together to heal the wounded. Saito smiled at the site. He then looked back at Joseph, triumphantly.

"You've lost, Joseph. Surrender now." Saito said.

Joseph looked furious. He didn't address Saito at all. Instead, he began to laugh wildly. He suddenly pulled the last firestone from under his robes. He began to recite an incantation. Without thinking, Saito immediately tackled him, causing them to fall off of the airship. In mid air, they fought for control of the firestone.

On the ground, Alex saw them in freefall.

"We need wind mages to help stop Saito's fall!" He shouted.

Osmond nodded. Tabitha arrived to help Osmond. Slowly, a whirlwind of air began to stretch into the sky. It slowly enveloped Saito and began to pull him away. Saito tried to fight it so that he could get a hold of the firestone, but he could not do anything in midair. He watched in agony as Joseph grabbed it and began citing his incantation again.

"Sheffield, my love, I do this for you." He said quietly.

Elsewhere, in the centre of the city, Louise finished her spell. She wasn't really thinking, she was more like a robot waiting to fulfill its orders.

"If you get a clear shot at him, I need you to cast your explosion."

The words played over and over again in her mind until, suddenly, she saw Joseph in the distance tumbling through the air. The words kept playing in her mind.

"EXPLOSION!" She yelled. A bright white orb shot from her wand. It flew at immense speed towards Joseph, although the distance was so great, it could be seen flying across the sky.

As Saito was brought away from Joseph, he cursed himself for not being able to stop him. Eventually, a familiar feeling overcame him. The world around him shone bright as a great amount of heat and pressure passed over his body. However, unlike last time, this heat didn't hurt him. There was a loud bang, much louder than before, that lasted for what seemed like an eternity. When the wind from the explosion finally died down, Saito opened his eyes. He wondered how he was still alive. When he looked down, the part of Liège that he had fought in was indeed destroyed, but his friends were all okay, save for a few bumps and scrapes from the debris that was in the air.

Saito landed rather hard on the ground. He slowly got up and limped his way towards the last place he saw his friends. When he finally got there, he saw several people crawling up from underneath piles of rubble.

"Saito!" Exclaimed a voice. It was Alexandre. He ran to Saito and gave him a big hug! Shion crawled from underneath some rubble, coughing. She smiled from ear to ear when she saw Alex and Saito were okay. All of Saito's friends soon gathered around him.

"What happened?" Guiche asked. "That explosion, did Joseph do it?"

"If Joseph did it, we would surely be dead." Saito said. He looked at the place where he and Joseph had been falling. The explosion had completely destroyed Joseph's ship. More importantly, on the pile of rubble was a shining red orb.

"Tabitha," Saito began. "Have Sylphid bring that to me, please."

Tabitha nodded. Sylphid quickly grabbed the orb and brought it back to them. Saito noticed that Sylphid had ran to retrieve the orb instead of flew. It was then that he noticed that her wings and back had been severely burnt, most likely from the firestone that Joseph detonated. He didn't want to say anything about it because he knew it would hurt Tabitha, so he picked up the orb.

"It obviously wasn't detonated, so how?" He said to himself. "The only other person who could cause such a massive explosion is…" His eyes widened when he realized what had happened. Althougj in immense pain, he ran into the building that he had left Louise on. Walls of rock that Guiche had made surrounded it. When he got passed the walls and onto the roof, he saw Louise laying on the ground, asleep.

He smiled and picked her up. Soon after, Alex and Shion arrived as well.

"Why did you come here, Saito?" Shion asked, exhausted and panting.

"She saved us, Shion." Saito said.

"What?" She replied.

Saito didn't bother explaining at that moment. He wanted to relax and enjoy the feeling of victory for a little bit longer. After several hours, Louise finally woke up. She was in a state of confusion.

"Is it over?" She asked Saito, who was holding her close to himself.

"Yeah." He said, "Let's go home."

He lifted her up like a bride and walked towards the gate to the city. All of his allies and former enemies were already standing there, waiting to depart. They walked towards the Academy at a slow pace. So slow that it took them over a day to get back, whereas it would normally only take about 6 hours. When they finally arrived, the first years who were left at the school were in the courtyard. They cheered the arrival of the small army, hailing them as heroes. They helped the injured to the infirmary and mingled with friends and loved ones. Saito, Louise, Alex, and Shion used this time to escape to a quieter part of the school. They sat down on the grass and suddenly started laughing.

"I was pretty sure I was a goner a couple of times!" Joked Alex. They all laughed and discussed various parts of their battle, often with dramatizations added for humor.

"Hey, girls." Saito finally said. Shion and Louise looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say. "Me and Alex were talking about this earlier so, what do you say we all go on a vacation somewhere nice? Just the four of us?"

Both girls smiled. "That sounds amazing!" They both said at once.

"It will have to wait a little longer." Said a voice behind them, who Saito immediately recognized as Agnes.

"Queen Henrietta, Albrecht III of Germania, and Wales of Albion have requested your audience. Please, come with me." She said.

Alex sighed. "Man, can't we catch a break?" He said. The four of them laughed and then followed Agnes to her carriage. On their journey, people lined the roads, throwing flowers at the carriage to honor them. When they finally arrived at Henrietta's Palace, Agnes led them to the large room they first met in.

Inside, there sat Henrietta, Wales, and Albrecht. Each of them wearing a smile on their faces, although Saito was cautious of Albrecht.

All four kneeled before the 3 rulers.

"You have all four performed a great service to our three nations," Henrietta began, "and so, you shall be rewarded accordingly. Chevalier de Hiraga, for your magnificent efforts in protecting Tristain, I grant you 2,000 square miles of land on the coast of Tristain. It shall be your own territory with which you may do as you please. It shall always receive support from Tristain, I guarantee it."

She wrapped a white cloak around him. It was similar to a regular aristocrat cloak, but was white with blue and gold accents. A golden string on the right side of his chest fastened it to his body.

"Please rise, Duc de la Hiraga." She said, smiling at him. He stood up straight and hugged Henrietta.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He said when he pulled away.

"Alexandre and Shion." She continued. "You have both proven extremely valuable in this venture. I grant both of you pardons for any crimes committed in your past. I also grant you the titles of Duc and Duchesse. You are to be given each a size of land equal to Duc de la Hiraga's. Although, I do not know your last names. May I ask what they may be?"

They both looked nervous. "We don't have any." They said at the same time.

"We'll come up with one at some point." Alex said, laughing.

"With one?" Henrietta said. "Oh my. Well, congratulations."

She gave each one a robe similar to Saito's. Alex's was a silky black with grey highlights, tied on with a silver string. Shion's was silver with purple highlights and was tied on with a copper colored string.

"Louise, you are already my sister. You've done so much to help me, and yet here I stand now, not knowing how to repay you." Henrietta said, rather sadly.

"I need no rewards, Your Majesty. Praise from you is enough to keep me satisfied." Louise said, still bowing.

Henrietta gave her a hug. "If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Louise said, hugging her back.

Smiling at the happy moment in front of him, Saito then turned his attention to Albrecht. He didn't know how to confront him about Shion's secret mission.

"Lord Albrecht, may I please speak to you in private?" He said, cautiously. Albrecht, not wanting to seem out of the ordinary, complied and went to a far corner of the room.

"What do you want to speak about?" Albrecht asked.

"I want to speak about why you wanted me killed." Saito said, coldly.

"So you know huh?" Albrecht said, "Well, I suppose there's no harm telling you what my former plan was. You see, the people of my country and Tristain have started to look up to you. If I made it look like Joseph killed you, I would have a valid reason to invade. Not only that, but you are clearly loyal to Tristain, so getting you out of the picture would be one less problem for me."

Saito was disgusted at how much it seemed Albrecht desired territory. He wanted to attack him so much, but he knew he couldn't so he just walked away. After a few hours, the leaders allowed them to leave.

On their way back, they spoke about their new titles. "Duc de la Hirga. It has a nice ring to it." Alex teased. "As does Duchesse de la Hiraga, I might add." He said, looking at Louise. She turned her face away in embarrassment.

"You two will need a last name for yourselves too, huh?" Saito said, defending himself. "Just one, you know? I mean, why would you need one each right?"

Alex laughed. " _Touché. Although, you're probably right." Shion hit him on his head._

 _"Don't say such embarrassing things, idiot!" She said, looking quite angry_

 _They laughed all the way to the Academy, where they stayed up all night and spoke about their adventures, now that they had, for now, come to an end._

 **Author's Notes:**

 _ **Okay, that was a long one. Maybe too long considering I couldn't get it out on Wednesday. I'm sorry about that guys. I'll write two chapters on Thursday for you, okay? Leave a review if you liked it and make sure to follow the story! Thanks for reading guys! Bye!**_

 _ **P.S. Next chapter will be more relaxed. May contain a lemon. Who knows? Not even I do.**_


	16. Chapter 16: The Lover's Vacation

**Author's Notes:**

 **What is up guys? Sorry for posting at 1 am last night, life decided that posting during the day was lame. Anyway, I think the next few chapters will be more relaxed. One may contain a lemon, although I'm not particularly eager to write one (cause it'll be absolute sh*t). Anyway, thanks for reading guys! Enjoy chapter 16!**

 **Chapter 16: The Lover's Vacation**

The four newly appointed members of Tristanian high command were in Louise's room in the Academy. It had been about one week since their battle with Joseph. They had all healed what wounds they had and were preparing to leave on their holiday. They had decided to stay on Saito's land by the beach. Henrietta had informed them that there was a mansion a few hundred yards from the coast that would be their main place of residence.

Saito put on his clothes, exactly the same ones as he would have worn in his wedding, over which he wore his white cloak that Henrietta gave him. Alexandre, who much to Saito's annoyance began to mimic him, wore similar clothes that were dark blue and had silver highlights. Shion wore a long, sleeveless, purple dress. It was fastened around her rather flat chest, leaving her shoulders bare. She also wore a pair of long, silver gloves. Her long hair, which as usually tied by a rubber band, was now let free, running down the length of her back to her knees.

Louise wore a similar dress. It was light pink, matching her distinct eyes and hair, which was tied by a single red band. Two bangs of hair framed her face. She too wore long white gloves, just like Shion's.

Saito and Alex stared in awe at them, making them feel quite uncomfortable. After a few moments, they snapped out of it.

"You look beautiful…" They both said at once.

"It's rude to stare." Louise said, blushing.

"Right, right. Sorry." Alex said. "Ready to go?"

Shion and Louise nodded. Saito and Alex held their hands and led them outside. Students cheered them on their way to the carriage they were going to use. They smiled and waved until they finally reached their carriage, they were relieved to finally be alone. The journey to the coast would take several hours, so they had packed a little food with them.

"Finally we're alone." Saito said, relieved. They all slouched down in their chairs.

"Hey, Saito." Alex whispered. "Did you remember to carry the ring?"

Saito nodded. "Yeah. I'd never forget. It's in my pocket."

"What are you two whispering about?" Louise asked.

Saito and Alex immediately stopped whispering and laughed in nervousness. "Nothing!" they both said.

Louise and Shion knew they were lying. They spent the next several hours borderline torturing them for information until eventually, they fell asleep.

Bruised and battered, Saito and Alex watched them sleep.

"They really are a handful, huh?" Alex said, stroking Shion's long silver hair.

"Yeah." Saito replied, looking at Louise's slightly pink face. "It's completely worth it though."

Alex smiled, agreeing with Saito. They sat held the girls and watched them sleep until they finally arrived at Saito's new mansion. It was a large villa surrounded by a variety of flowers and trees. Two large water fountains sat on either side of the building. A marble path lead to the front door of the building. The mansion itself was 5 stories tall and had several windows. It was made of a some kind of white stone and its roof was made of orange tiles. It reminded Saito of a larger version of the Italian mansions he would sometimes see on television or in magazines. Several smaller structures surrounded it, which Saito assumed were storehouses for random materials.

"It's amazing!" Alex said, filled with awe.

Saito was too shocked to reply. They slowly nudged Louise and Shion awake.

"We're here." Saito said quietly. Louise got up and looked outside. Her eyes widened when she saw the beautiful villa in front of her. Saito smiled when he saw her happy reaction.

"We're going to live here, Saito?" She said in disbelief.

Saito nodded. "This is our home, Louise."

He kissed her cheek and helped her out of the carriage. Alex lifted Shion off of the chair and carried her outside. As they walked on the path towards the door, a dozen maids came out of the house and bowed towards them.

"Welcome, Duc de la Hiraga. We have prepared this residence for your arrival." Said one of the maids. Saito thought he recognized her, and soon realized that it was Siesta.

"Siesta, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Queen Henrietta selected maids around the country based on how well they performed. I was chosen to come and serve you in your new territory." She said.

"Right, she doesn't like me. This is a new world." Saito thought to himself.

"Hey, you and the other maids are free to go and do as you please. We can take care of ourselves." Alex said.

Siesta bowed. "As you wish, Lord Alexandre." She and the other maids departed the estate. There were a few houses in the distance that Saito identified as the maid's houses. The four lords walked into the mansion. The inside was very lavish. The floors were made of a light colored wood. The furnishings were extremely expensive and looked very comfortable. Everything was pristine, since Siesta and the other maids had cleaned everything before Saito and his friends arrived.

They went to the back of the house, where there was a patio overlooking the sea.

"It's beautiful!" Shion said in awe.

"Let's go to the beach!" Louise said.

She and Shion ran to one of the bedrooms to change into their swimsuits, leaving Saito and Alex to look at the scenery.

"This will be the perfect place for you to ask her." Alex said, smiling at Saito.

"Yeah." Saito replied, looking at the ring he would give Louise tonight. He wanted to propose to her on the first day they arrived so that the anxiety he had inside of him would disappear as soon as possible.

"I'm here for you. You can do it." Alex said, patting Saito's shoulder.

Saito took a deep breath. "Thanks, Alex. We should probably change into our swimsuits."

Alex nodded and they left the room to change. Being men, their swimming outfits only consisted of simple pairs of shorts. As they changed thought more about Alex.

"Hey Alex," Saito began. "How old are you exactly?"

Alex looked at his fingers, counting. "I'm not sure exactly. I lost count a few years back." He said, laughing.

"Can you at least give me an estimate?" Saito asked, feeling slightly disappointed.

"An estimate huh? Well, I'd say that I'm getting pretty close to 400." He said casually, as if nothing was wrong with that statement.

Satio nearly fell down with shock. "You?! Four hundred years old?! How?!" Saito asked. He thought Alex was messing with him.

"Well, as long as I'm not killed by some massive injury, I suppose I'm immortal." He said, smiling.

"Then how do you look so young?!" Saito asked.

"I dunno." Alex replied, as if holding a normal conversation. "I don't really care. I'm alive, that's what matters."

Saito was in disbelief. How could someone who acted like him be so old?

"Are you even human?" Saito asked, somewhat afraid of Alex now.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, of course. There aren't that many people like me, and I have no idea where I came from or why I've lived so long, not that I care at this point. The only other people who live close to this long are the elves, and even they tend to tap out at 300. So I'm pretty happy anyway."

"Does Shion know that you'll outlive her?" Saito asked with concern in his voice.

"Well, that's the thing. I think she could be like me. She's definitely young, probably just as old as Louise, but there is something different about her." Alex said, thoughtfully. He remained silent for several moments, then returned to his child-like self. "Anyway, we're here on vacation! Let's go to the beach, I'm sure the girls are waiting for us."

He jumped up and ran as fast as he could down to the beach, arriving there in a few seconds. Saito, still in shock, started walking down to the beach. He kept reminding himself of Alex's age. When he finally arrived at the beach, those thoughts were washed away when he saw Louise. She wore a bright red, two piece swimsuit. It was simple but, to Saito, quite cute.

Alex was already chasing Shion around the beach, trying to hug her. She wore a frilled, 2 piece, purple swimsuit. Deciding to have fun as well, Saito ran after Louise, chasing her into the water. They played a variety of games for several hours. From making sand castles, to digging each other into the sand, they had fun until the sun began lowering into the sky. At this point, Saito decided to make supper for them.

He jumped into the water and remained submerged for several minutes. Finally, he emerged from beneath the surface, holding 4 large fish in his hands.

"I'm going to make supper guys! You can stay here while I cook." Saito said. Although he was generally average at everything before coming to Halkeginia, he was an extremely good cook, courtesy of his mother. He ran up to their villa and began to make his dish, leaving the other three around a campfire they had made.

"So Alex," Louise began, "where are you from?"

Alex leaned back on his arms. "Well, I don't know. My memory of my younger days is a little hazy, so I don't remember anything, really." He explained.

"Do you at least remember your family?" Louise asked.

"Oh yeah, of course." Alex said, "I could never forget them, even if I try."

"What do you mean? Why do you want to forget them?" Shion asked.

"They died a long time ago, so I don't like to think about it." Alex replied. "It doesn't matter now anyway. Soon enough, I'll have a new family to look after, right Shion?" Alex said, holding Shion's hand.

She blushed and looked away. "Not soon! But…maybe someday." She said, slightly smiling at the thought. As she became lost in her own thoughts of future motherhood, Alex turned his attention to Louise.

"What about you and Saito?" He asked.

Louise became a bright shade of red. She shook her head at the question. "He doesn't look like the kind of guy who'd want children! Besides, we're not even married!"

Alex laughed at her. He then looked into the campfire. "I have a feeling that might change soon." He said, smiling.

Before Louise could retort, Saito came back from the house. He was carrying 4 large silver platters.

"Sorry I took so long! I wanted the food to be perfect!" He said as he laid the platters in front of each of his friends. He eagerly waited for them to critique his food. Alex took his first bite. His eyes immediately lit up as the taste of fish and rice landed on his tongue. Saito didn't need Alex to say what he thought of the food, as he was eating it voraciously. They sat down and ate their food happily, telling each other stories as they did.

By the time they had finished, the sun was nearing the horizon. Alex stood up and stretched, his belly round from the food he'd eaten.

"Compliments to the chef!" He said, barely able to bow at Saito.

"Alex and I will take the dishes to the house." Shion said. "You deserve to relax after making a meal like that."

Alex didn't seem to like the idea, but was forced to comply. He and Shion left the beach to go and put the platters in the house. As he walked up the path to the mansion, he turned around to look at the sun. It was getting closer and closer to the horizon.

"This is the perfect moment." He thought to himself as he turned around and kept walking.

Back at the beach, Saito and Louise were staring at the sun setting. Louise was leaning her head on Saito's shoulder. He felt extremely nervous. He knew deep down that this was probably the best moment to propose to her, but he suddenly didn't have the confidence to do it.

"What's wrong, Saito?" Louise asked. She could see nervousness written on his face.

Saito took a deep breath. He stood up, looking at the sun beginning to set over the ocean. Louise stood up and looked at him, waiting for him to answer her question.

"How do you feel about me?" Saito suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Louise responded, feeling rather confused.

"In your heart, how do you feel about me?" Saito said, still watching the sun.

"I love you with all of my heart. Why would you ask? Are you jealous of Alex?" She said, slightly irritated.

"No, not at all. I'm just wondering how much you're willing to put up with me." He said.

Louise was bewildered by his questions. "I'll put up with you as much as I have to. I'll do it forever if I have to, as long as you remain with me." She said, slightly blushing.

"Forever, huh?" Saito said. "That works out perfectly then."

Much to Louise's surprise, he suddenly knelt down in front of her. He pulled a small box from underneath a small pile of sand he had made earlier. When he opened it, there was the ring that he had shown Alex. Its gem was glistening brilliantly in the sun's orange light.

"What are you doing, Saito?" Louise asked. She was rather slow catching on.

"Louise, will you marry me?" Saito asked without a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Louise's eyes widened. "Me?"

Saito nodded with determination in his eyes. "It has to be you." He said.

Tears began to fill Louise's eyes. "Yes! Yes!" She said, happily.

She hugged him to the ground, laughing with an immense amount of joy. When she finally pulled away, Saito held her hand. He slowly slipped the ring onto her ring finger. Louise looked at it in admiration for several minutes. She then turned her attention to Saito, looking into his eyes.

At this moment, Shion and Alex were walking back to the house. When they were halfway down the path, Alex stopped. Shion looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Alexandre?" She asked.

He said nothing and instead pointed at something. With only half of the sun visible over the horizon, Saito and Louise kissed. Shion spotted the ring on Louise's finger, realizing what had happened. She smiled at the beautiful sight in front of her. Saito and Louise stayed kissing for a long time before pulling apart.

"Thank you for coming into my life." Saito said.

"And thank you for coming into mine." Louise replied.

Their moment was somewhat interrupted by Alex and Shion. Alex ran and hugged Saito, throwing him to the ground. Shion peppered Louise with questions about her impending wedding. As the sun finally set, they all decided to go back inside the house.

Alex and Shion went up the path first, with the newly engaged couple not far behind, holding hands.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I'm sorry for posting this chapter late AGAIN. I don't really want to explain myself right now, just know that life can be a real pain sometimes. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Louise and Saito are engaged! Happy day! As always, I'll see you guys next time!**


	17. Chapter 17: Becoming One

**Author's Notes:**

 **What's up guys! Again, I'm sorry for posting at 1 am last night. I just didn't have the time to post earlier than that. DISCLAIMER! This chapter DOES contain a lemon, so if you do not like that sort of thing, I highly advise that you skip this chapter! Thank you!**

 **Chapter 17: Becoming One**

Everyone in the mansion had decided to go to bed. It was nearly midnight and they were all exhausted. Being quite immature, Alex somewhat forced Shion to share a room with him, while Louise and Saito would get their own room.

"Why do we need our own rooms?" Shion asked.

"You really are young, aren't you?" Alex said, dragging her away to a separate room. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Saito laid in bed while Louise was bathing, feeling relieved that she had accepted him. He only had one thing that was bothering him at the moment. Louise's parents. He technically hadn't met them yet, so they had no idea who he was. When he met them before coming back to Halkeginia, they weren't especially fond of him. Particularly Louise's father.

"What am I going to say to them?" He thought to himself. "Hopefully, things don't go like they did last time."

After a few minutes, Louise came out of the bathroom, her skin still slightly damp and pink from the heat of the shower. However, she was only wearing panties, leaving her chest uncovered. Saito sheepishly turned around to stop himself from staring at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, as if there was nothing odd about the situation.

"You're not wearing anything…" Saito said, without turning around.

"So?" She asked. "We're engaged, so I don't mind you seeing me." She said, blushing.

"You sure?" He asked, still feeling uncomfortable.

He didn't hear her answer. He instead felt her hug his unclothed back. He could feel the heat radiating from her chest. He turned around to look at her. He gave her a long, passionate kiss. They kissed for several minutes, only ever coming apart to take breaths of air. After a few minutes, Louise laid her back on the bed, showing she wanted more than kisses.

She looked away from him, unable to deal with her embarrassment. Saito did nothing for several seconds, simply staring at her body. Normally, he would prefer a girl with more substantial 'assests', but for some reason, he thought Louise was absolutely perfect.

"S-Stop staring at me…" She said, nervously.

He looked at her for a few more seconds, calculating his next move. Slowly, he put his hands on her small, but very soft breasts. She moaned slightly as he held them, as they were very tender to the touch. This was a new experience for Saito. He had never had a girlfriend, let alone a sexual relationship. He therefore handled her very gently. He kissed each of her breasts, her moaning getting louder with each passing minute.

He slowly moved his way down to her legs. Her panties were soaked. He gulped, feeling extremely nervous. The only time he had ever seen between a woman's legs was when he occasionally clicked the wrong links on the internet.

"You can take them off…" Louise said, coyly.

Saito was shocked to hear her say something so strange. With beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, he slowly pulled her panties off, revealing the moist, pink slit in her body. Saito's head started to become cloudy. He couldn't quite think straight. Within a few seconds, he moved his mouth onto her, making her squeal in surprise.

He happily kissed and licked her for several minutes, making her moan in pleasure. He did this for several minutes, which felt like an eternity for Louise. When he stopped, he licked his lips and smiled, as if he had just indulged himself in a delicious meal. Louise was panting, barely able to speak.

"Sorry, did I go too far?" Saito asked, laughing.

As soon as he finished his sentence, Louise pushed him onto the bed and removed his shorts before he could protest, revealing his 'member'. Louise's eyes widened when she saw it. She had never seen what a man looked like in his pants, so she was intrigued. It was quite large and as hard as a rock. The tip looked softer than the rest and had some kind of liquid already on it. Louise, unaware of how a man worked, poked it, causing Saito to wince.

"I'm sorry!" Louise said, thinking she hurt Saito. "I didn't know it would hurt."

"It didn't hurt Louise. It's just…really sensitive." Saito replied. He felt extremely conscious about the fact that they were both naked, and couldn't bear to look Louise in her eyes. He closed his eyes from embarrassment.

"I'm supposed to put this in my mouth right?" Louise asked.

Saito became extremely red. "You don't have to!" He said, although his throbbing member seemed to disagree with him. She slowly began to taste it, being very cautious not to cause Saito any discomfort. She slowly move it further into her mouth. She had had to force herself to fit it in, as her mouth wasn't particularly big.

Slowly, she moved it back and forth in her mouth. Saito quietly moaned. He quickly reflected on his life decisions, feeling confident that he had made the right choices. After a few minutes he started to feel strange.

"Louise!" He exclaimed before being overcome by pleasure, and slowly relaxing back onto the bed.

"Something went into my mouth." Louise said, tasting the strange slime coating her mouth.

"Sorry." Saito said. "I didn't mean to do that in your mouth."

"It's okay." Louise replied, blushing. "It's a little bitter, but actually tastes kind of good."

She then laid on the bed and reached her hands out towards Saito, inviting him towards her. He slowly, but eagerly moved over her. The parts that made them a boy and a girl were now dangerously close.

"Are you sure about this?" Saito asked.

Louise nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah. It can only be you." She said.

Saito smiled. "Okay. Tell me if you feel any pain, okay?"

She nodded and closed her eyes, ready to feel his body against hers. Slowly, Saito pressed his member against her opening until it finally moved into it. In one swift thrust, he chose to shove it inside of her, causing her to moan loudly.

"Sorry! Does it hurt?!" Saito asked, his voice full of concern.

Louise shook her head. "Not at all. It feels really good. Keep going." She said, feeling embarrassed.

With her permission, Saito began to move his hips back and forth. He started out slowly and then eventually began to move more roughly and quickly.

In the next room, Alex and Shion lay in bed holding each other and reading a storybook. As they were reading, they both heard a strange sound coming from Saito and Louise's room.

"What was that?" Shion asked. She was completely clueless about what could possibly be happening. Alex, on the other hand, was well aware of what that sound was, but did his best to lie.

"What sound?" He said, being uncharacteristically convincing in his lie.

Shion assumed that she was hearing things. They continued to read their book, but then heard another sound. It sounded like repeated loud, but short screams. Shion jumped out of bed, getting the wrong idea about what was happening.

"That sounded like screaming! They're being attacked! We have to help them!" She said to Alex as she ran towards the door.

"Shion wait!" Alex yelled, to no avail.

Shion ran out of the door and was about to enter Saito and Louise room, but heard the strange noises again. It was moaning, panting, gasping, and the occasional "Saito!" or "Louise!". Shion, still not grasping the situation, peaked through the door. Alex arrived just in time to see her face turn bright red. He quickly ran and picked her up. He ran back to his own room, regretting not being more forceful in stopping Shion.

Back in Saito and Louise's room, both Saito and Louise were reaching their limit. Saito had begun moving his hips extremely quickly. Both of them were sweating and could barely speak, losing themselves in their pleasure. As they were reaching their climax, Saito moved more and more rapidly until he finally thrust into her harder than he ever had. Louise squealed as her body stiffened, pulsating slightly. They remained like that for several seconds until they both collapsed on the bed. They were panting, exhausted and tired, but extremely happy.

"Thank you, Louise." Saito said when he had finally caught his breath.

"For what?" Louise asked, barely able to speak.

"For accepting me as your husband. I'm really grateful." He said as he hugged her body close to his.

"Thank you for proposing to me." Louise said, looking into his eyes.

They smiled and shared a kiss. For several minutes, they kissed and kissed again and again. Eventually, Louise finally fell asleep. Saito covered Louise and himself in a blanket. Soon, he too fell asleep.

The next morning, Saito woke up just as the sun was rising. At his side, Louise was still asleep, sucking on her thumb. Saito smiled and got out of bed. He opened his closet to find what clothes he had. He found a casual pair of shorts and a shirt, although they too seemed of royal quality. He kissed Louise's cheek and went downstairs to the main living room. A cup of tea was waiting for him on a coffee table, which Saito had assumed one of the maids had left for him. When he sat down and looked up, he noticed Alex sitting across from him, smiling.

"Good morning, Alex." Saito said. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah." Alex said, looking smug. "Did you?"

Saito shrugged. "I guess. I still feel a little tired, but the tea should get rid of that."

Alex nodded. "A little tired, huh? Well, I guess I'd be pretty tired too if I were in your shoes last night."

This piqued Saito's interest. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

Alex didn't address Saito's question. "How well do you think Louise will be able to walk today?" He said.

Saito began to catch on. "That's a weird question. She'll be just fine, why?"

"Oh, well it's just that it must have taken quite a lot out of her to keep up with a superhuman like you last night." Alex said, starting to chuckle slightly as he was talking.

Saito turned bright red. "How the hell do you know?!"

"We heard you last night. Shion is…traumatized. She saw it. I tried to stop her, but she peaked through your door. If she seems a little weird today, now you know why." He said, now laughing uncontrollably. "Way to seal the deal after proposing! Congratulations!"

Saito hit Alex on the head, making him roll on the ground in pain. When he finally got up, he had a large bump on his head.

"You're mean, Saito." He said, rubbing his head.

"I can hardly believe someone like you is older than me." Saito said, disgruntled.

Alex laughed. "I'm not that old. Not in spirit or in body anyway. So, how did it feel? It was your first time right?"

Saito nodded. "Yeah, she was my first. I don't want anyone else. She's perfect."

Alex smiled. "Your loyalty is admirable."

"What about you?" Saito asked. "Someone as vibrant as you has probably done it hundreds of times by now."

Alex shook his head. "Nope. I'm a virgin." He said, rather embarrassed.

Saito laughed at him for several minutes. "How do you stay a virgin for 400 years?!" He said, when he was able to stop laughing.

Alex shrugged. "I've never found a girl that I loved from first sight. Until I met Shion, of course."

Saito smiled. "She looks like she's a tough one to crack. Good luck."

Alex looked down. "Thanks, Saito." He looked back up at him. "By the way, did you remember to finish outside? You don't want kids yet do you?"

Saito's eyes widened. "Damn it! I totally forgot!" He said, fear written on his face. He began to pace around the room in anxiety.

"Why don't you use your eyes to find out. You can see people's magical reserves right? Since every aristocrat is born with magic, I'm sure you'd be able to see if a baby was forming. Just check on her every few days to make sure everything is okay." Alex said in a rare example of his latent intelligence.

"You're a genius, Alex!" Saito said.

He ran upstairs as quickly as he could. When he was just outside of the room Louise was sleeping in, he activated his left eye. He could clearly see Louise's magic residing within her body. It was very large and bright, but luckily for Saito, there was no other magic present in her body. He sighed in relief and went back downstairs.

"So, any news?" Alex asked.

"She's not pregnant. Thank god." Saito said as he sat on his chair.

"That's good to hear." Alex said. "You thinking about having kids one day?"

Saito thought for a few moments. "That would be great, but only once there are no more threats to this world. Once I can guarantee the safety of Louise, then I'll happily become a father."

"What was that?" Said a voice from the staircase. Louise had woken up and came downstairs. "I didn't hear what you said, Saito."

Saito stood up quickly, rubbing the back of his head. "Nothing! How did you sleep?"

"I can't walk." Louise said, looking rather angry.

Alex looked at Saito with a smug face, which Saito ignored. Louise slowly made her way to Saito and sat down next to him. "Why were you two up so early?" She asked.

"We were just planning our vacation." Alex said, smiling. Soon afterwards, Shion walked downstairs. She said nothing, and simply sat down next to Alex. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"You okay, Shion?" Alex asked. She said nothing, and instead just dug her face into his chest.

"What's wrong with her?" Louise asked.

"She's seen a lot in her life. She may need a few days to recover." He said, laughing at Louise and Saito. As Louise questioned Alex, Saito looked down at her abdomen. There was still only one light, but Saito couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First off, that was easily the most shameful thing I've ever written, as well as one of the worst. I clearly have room for improvement. But anyway, for those of you who read the disclaimer at the beginning of the chapter, thanks for reading. Maybe don't leave a review this time (lol). Anyway, I'll see you guys next time! Take care!**


	18. Chapter 18: Back to Work

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! What's going on? I'm writing these notes before actually writing the chapter, so I don't know what you'll see. Either way, I hope you've enjoyed this story so far. I know it's not the best, but I really appreciate you guys staying around to read it. Also, sorry for the extended break. I fell extremely ill and couldn't get out of bed. I'm still pretty sick, but I managed to get myself to write something. Anyway, enjoy chapter 18!**

 **Chapter 18: Back to Work**

Saito, Louise, Alex, and Shion had been on vacation in Saito's territory for approximately three weeks. They had greatly enjoyed their time there, but the time had come for their vacation to come to an end. The next day, Alex and Shion would have to move to their territory to begin governing it. On the same day, Saito and Louise would have to have a meeting with Henrietta regarding their territory's relations with the rest of the world.

"We're going to have to get going tomorrow." Alex said, sadly. "Both Shion and I were given pieces of land to rule over, so we decided to combine them into one nation."

"Good for you, guys. I think Louise and I will remain here for a little while. We do have to manage the people who live here, after all." Saito replied.

"Technically, I don't have to." Louise said, teasing Saito. "It's your land, not mine."

"Well, as a future Queen and my fiancé, I think it's best for you to gain some experience." He replied.

"Well, I suppose. Besides, if I left it up to you, your citizens would starve to death." She teased.

They laughed together for a few minutes., before eventually calming down.

"Besides all that, we have to meet with Her Majesty tomorrow. Such a bothersome time, eh?" Saito said. "By the way, have you guys thought of a name for your territory?" He asked Shion and Alex.

"I have no idea, actually. I completely forgot that we'd have to do that." Alex said, laughing.

"Alexandria." Shion suddenly said. "I want it to be named for him. He is a war hero, after all."

"Thanks, Shion." Alex said, giving her a hug. He was genuinely touched by what she said, which she found rather odd. "We'll name the capital after you, then." He continued.

"That's really not necessary." She said.

"Nonsense!" Alex said. He thought for a few seconds. "I'm not a very creative person so…how about Shion?"

Shion stared at him for a few seconds, then gave him a hug. They remained like that for a long time, with Louise and Saito watching on. When they finally pulled apart, they turned to Saito and Louise.

"What about you two?" Shion asked. "What are you going to name this place?"

"Ummm…" Louise began. "How about…Côte de Nice?"

"Côte de Nice? What does that mean?" Saito asked.

"Nice coast." Louise replied. "It's nice and straightforward."

"I like it." Saito said, smiling at Louise. "As for the capital, we should name it…Louiseville!"

Louise blushed at the suggestion. "That's a stupid name!" She said in embarrassment.

"I like it!" Alex and Shion said at the same time.

"I want to thank you for how you've treated me, so I want the capital to be named in your honor." Saito said, holding Louise's hands and looking into her eyes. She was silent for a few moments, then leaned into him and gave him a kiss.

"Well, since this will be the last time we meet for a long time, we should enjoy it." Alex said, wrapping his arms around his friends. They decided to go into the nearest town to go shopping for the day. The town was not far, and it only took them about an hour to get there. When they arrived, the citizens bowed to Saito and Louise, making them both uncomfortable.

"Welcome, young lords!" Said an extremely large man who walked out of the crowd of people. He wore purple and gold robes. He had curly white hair and crimson eyes.

"Ah, pardon my rudeness! It appears introductions are in order. I am Lord Frédéric Beuregard, the governor of this city. Pleased to meet you." He bowed as low as his belly would allow.

"I am Hiraga Saito. Pleased to meet you." Saito said, bowing equally as low.

"I'm Alexandre. I have no last name." Alex said, bowing slightly.

"I am Shion. I too have no surname." Shion said, without bowing.

"I am Louise de la Valliére. Pleased to meet you." She bowed just as low as Saito.

"What, may I ask, is a member of the esteemed Valliére family doing here?" Frédéric asked as he stood up.

"I am going to assist in governing this territory." She said.

"I was informed that this boy was to be governing this territory." He said, slightly confused.

"She is going to help me." Saito said, feeling slightly irritated that he had to deal with this now.

Frédéric examined Louise and Saito, quickly noticing the ring on Louise's finger. He pretended not to notice it and instead turned his attention to Alex and Shion.

"And what of you two? It's quite strange that you have no surnames." He said.

"It's not important. We'll come up with one for ourselves when the time comes." Alex said, casually.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, regardless." Frédéric said, smiling.

"We will discuss this territory after I have my meeting with the Queen. Now, if you may politely excuse us, we would like to enjoy the last day of our vacation together." Saito said.

Frédéric bowed. "As you wish, my lord." He walked back into the crowd, disappearing shortly afterwards.

"Well, that was annoying." Alex said.

"Let's just go and have fun while we can." Shion said.

They nodded and ran into the city. They would spend the day sampling different foods. They bought each other a variety of presents. Saito bought Alex a new dagger. It was slightly longer than the one he already had, about 2 and a half feet in length. It had a glossy black hilt and a shining silver blade. It came in a white scabbard encrusted with a multitude of ovular emeralds.

Alex, in return, bought Saito a small circular shield. It had designs of some kind of serpent etched into the light, but strong metal. He also had Saito choose which writing he wanted to be carved onto it. Saito, much to the blacksmith's irritation, chose to have every character of the Japanese alphabet carved into it.

Shion bought Louise a small, but beautiful diamond encrusted tiara. The diamonds were surrounded by lustrous, bronze metal. She also bought her a silver dress to compliment it, as well as a variety of different makeup.

"Knock him dead." She whispered to Louise, looking at Saito. Louise blushed and made sure to hide the gifts that were bought for her.

After what felt like only an hour or two, but was actually more than 12 hours, the sun began to go down. They decided to go back to the beach to have one last barbecue together before they officially became rulers of their respective lands.

"It's going to be a long time before we can be together like this again." Alex said, solemnly.

"Yeah." Saito responded. "I'm going to miss you guys."

"It was fun while we were together." Shion said. "We'll visit at least once a year, though. So at least we can look forward to that."

"We'll come for your wedding too!" Alex said, smiling.

"Thanks guys. We'll come for your wedding as well." Saito said, teasing Alex.

"Thanks. I look forward to having you by my side on the big day." Alex said, surprisingly taking what Saito said seriously.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?" Louise said, laughing. "You haven't even proposed to Shion yet."

"I have a feeling it'll work out." Alex said, smiling at Shion. She had been blushing during the whole conversation.

"We'll see…" She said, quietly.

The sun had now set entirely. They could see the stars shining brightly in the sky. The only sounds were the crackling of their campfire and the crashing of the waves on the beach. They sat in silence for several minutes.

"We should probably go to bed." Louise said. "We have an early start tomorrow."

The other three rather sadly agreed. They helped Louise put out the fire and then slowly made their way to their rooms in the Villa. They went to bed without saying anything other than "Good night". Saito laid in bed as Louise freshened up in the bathroom.

"I actually become something important tomorrow. Officially." He said to himself.

"How're you doing, Partner? Nervous?" Derf asked from corner of the room.

"Not exactly." Saito replied. "It feels more like excitement than nervousness."

"You become a very important person tomorrow, after all. It makes sense that you'd feel that way." Derf continued.

Saito didn't reply. In truth, he was extremely nervous. He had never ruled over anything in his life, so suddenly being in charge of thousands of lives was a big deal for him. As he thought to himself, Louise came out of the bathroom in her nightgown and laid in bed next to Saito. She laid her head on his chest and slowly brushed his hair with her hand.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" She asked him.

"A little bit, yeah." He replied. "It's a lot of responsibility to suddenly have."

"You're a strong person. I'm sure you can handle it." She said, trying to comfort him.

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, feeling much better now. "You'll be there to help me too, so it'll be a piece of cake."

She softly kissed his lips and laid her body on top of his. "Good. Now, we should probably sleep now."

"Yeah." Saito replied. "We _probably_ should, but…"

She put her finger on his lip. "Another time, Saito. Get some rest." She said, smiling.

Somewhat disappointed, Saito laid his head back down and slowly fell asleep. Almost instantly, he woke up in front of Gandalfr. They made eye contact, but said nothing for a while.

"Hey, I have a question." Saito asked. "We're…friends, right?"

"What a strange way of starting a conversation. I suppose we are on friendly terms, so yes." He replied.

"Great! Then you won't be needing that gate anymore! What happens if I open it?" Saito said, smiling from ear to ear.

"No one has ever even suggested opening this gate. You're a strange one." Gandalfr said. "If you were to open the gate, we would be capable of interacting more freely. I suppose the powers you possess as Gandalfr would be greatly amplified as well. Our senses, since my body tends to have an effect on it's host, may also intertwine after a while."

"Cool." Saito responded. "If I open them, are you going to try and kill me?"

"As tempting as it would be, no I will not. You've brought some interest into my life, so for now, I'll leave you be." Gandalfr said.

"Alright, might as well get this over with." Saito said, putting one hand on the gate.

He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. Slowly, the gap between the two doors that made up the gate began to glow a very dull red. After several minutes, it became brighter and brighter, before it soon became as bright as a light bulb. Saito could feel burning in his chest, as if someone inside of him had just lit a match, but he continued anyway. After a while, he heard the sounds of metal shearing. Bright red cracks started to appear in the metal, illuminating the room with a dull, red light.

As the burning in his chest became truly unbearable, the gate emitted the sound of a loud bang and then shattered to pieces, which seemed to sink into the water like ground. Saito fell on the ground from exhaustion. He could still feel the same burn in his chest. It was of the same intensity as before, but somehow didn't hurt.

"Man, why does everything burn whenever I do stupid stuff like this?" He said to no one in particular.

When he looked up, he nearly screamed from terror. In front of him was an extremely massive creature, easily more than 20 times the size of the house that he was currently sleeping in. It appeared to be a mixture of parts from several creatures. Its body appeared to be made of dark grey pieces of jagged, almost stone looking metal. It stood on four legs, shaped like those of a lion, but with 3 digits on each foot. Each digit was tipped with extremely sharp, black claws. Its head was like that of a European dragon, albeit slightly larger compared to the rest of its body and having a beak like shape. The sclera of its eyes were a very light blue, while the iris was the bright, glowing orange that Saito recognized already. The eyes themselves were surrounded with some kind of red coloration. It had 4 tails, each of which were longer than half of the creature's body.

Something that stood out to Saito immediately was that there were several cracks in its skin, which all seemed to having some sort of molten substance underneath them. The monster itself was extremely hot, emanating an immense amount of heat. Saito was at a loss for words. He had watched a lot of anime and read a lot of manga, so he thought he'd be prepared for this kind of thing. However, he was so frightened that he couldn't move.

The creature moved around a bit, stretching its massive body. It yawned, giving Saito a clear view of its forked, dark blue tongue and massive, serrated, sharp teeth. After a few minutes of stretching and yawning, it sat down somewhat like a dog and stared down at him.

"Frightened?" It said.

Saito couldn't speak clearly for several minutes. "What are you?" He asked, shakily.

"I'm Gandalfr, of course." It replied. "What, did you think I'd be something smaller than this?"

"Yes I did! How the hell did you even fit behind that gate?!" Saito finally managed to say.

"I was stuffed in that small box for thousands of years. I didn't go inside voluntarily." Gandalfr replied.

"Small box?" Saito thought to himself.

"You seem to be in shock. Perhaps you should leave and come back when you collect yourself." Gandalfr said. "Besides, that girl will soon notice the effects of my release. Wake up, boy."

"Effects?" Saito thought.

He forced himself awake only to see Louise jump out of bed, obviously startled by something.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"Saito, do you feel okay?!" She asked him.

"Y-Yeah." Saito replied. "Why?"

"Your body! Its burning hot!" She exclaimed.

"I don't feel hot at all. If anything, I feel kind of cold." Saito said.

He went to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. His body seemed just as it had yesterday. There were no differences at all. He turned on the tap to wash his face. It was then that he noticed what Louise had meant. As the water touched his skin, he could hear it sizzling as it started to evaporate away. Within a few seconds, his hands were completely dry.

"What the hell!" He said to himself. "So this is what he meant by 'effects'!" He said to himself.

He began to pace around the room, thinking about what to do. He couldn't possibly meet Henrietta like this. After about an hour, he came up with an idea. Louise watched him as he sat on the floor and began to meditate. After several minutes, he suddenly opened his eyes. He turned towards Louise and suddenly hugged her. She squealed, expecting to feel like she was roasting over an open fire, but instead felt nothing at all.

"What did you do?" She asked him.

"I put a lair of magic over my body to stop myself from burning everyone I touch. As long as I eat enough food and stuff, I should be able to maintain it indefinitely." He explained to her, exuding pride in himself for his brilliant idea.

"How?! How are you even able to control your magic so easily?! It takes most people years to learn how to do that, and even then, they can only use magic to form elemental spells! How can you control your magic that way?" She asked, clearly jealous of his grand achievement.

"Well, as Gandalfr, my job is solely to protect my Void Mage. That pretty much makes me a weapon on my own. Once I had the magic within me untapped, it was as simple as a bit of practice before I learned to control it. I'm not perfect yet, but I'm okay." He said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Who untapped your magic?" Louise asked.

"Ahhhhh, technically I did it myself." He said, trying to avoid having to explain the demonic looking entity residing within him.

"You're lying, Saito." She said, bluntly. "Don't lie to your future wife."

"Damn it, pulling the wife card is unfair." He thought to himself.

"Are you going to tell me?" She asked.

He took a deep breath and sat her down on the bed. "Tell you what, you can meet him yourself." He said.

"Meet him? Is it someone in this country?" She asked, confused.

"Just look into my left eye and let me do the rest." He said.

Rather skeptically, she looked into his left eye. Its solid, bright orange colored iris, the thick and black ring that surrounded it, and the perfectly circular and abnormally small pupil that was in its centre, mesmerized her. After a few seconds, it began to glow. She became startled, but Saito smiled at her, reassuring her that it would be okay.

After about a minute, she blacked out. Almost instantly, she woke up in a dimly lit, large room. She looked down, wondering how she was standing on what appeared to be water. Saito appeared a few seconds later.

"Hey there, m'lady!" He said, smiling at her.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"You're inside of…well me, I guess. I don't know whether to call it my soul or my mind. Either way, the one who allowed me to use magic is in here." He said.

"Okay." Louise asked, still skeptical and thinking this was all a prank. "So where is he?"

Saito pointed behind her. She turned around slowly. As her eyes made contact with the monster that was sleeping behind her, she let out a deafening scream. She jumped behind Saito in terror.

"What is that thing?!" She screamed.

The commotion woke Gandalfr up. He didn't move, but simply opened his eyes to look at the source of the noise.

"I never thought that you would be one to make such a feminine noise, Saito." He said.

He couldn't see Louise due to her small stature hiding behind Saito.

"Oh, that wasn't me." He said.

He pulled Louise from behind him and held her in front of him. It took Gandalfr a moment to process what was happening. When he did, his eyes widened and he backed away from the two.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He roared.

"Calm down." Saito said calmly. He was afraid, but had to act macho in front of Louise. "She's not going to hurt you. I just thought you two should meet."

Gandalfr looked closely at them, making sure there was nothing that could harm him. He slowly walked closer and sat down on the ground.

"Why do you want her to meet me?" He asked.

"Well, she is my Void Mage, after all. She should probably know what's protecting her, right?" Saito said.

The beast stared at Louise for several moments, making her shiver. "Very well." He finally said. "I am Gandalfr, the one that resides within this boy."

"Gandalfr..?" Louise said in confusion.

Trying to retain her dignity, she tried her best to introduce herself. "I-I am Louise d-de la Valliére. P-P-Pleased to meet you."

"Hmmm, a polite girl. I pray that my host treats you well, Ms. Valliére. Or rather, Mrs. Hiraga." Gandalfr said, suddenly seeming like a warm and polite entity.

This made Louise relax a lot more for some reason. "He treats me well so far. You'll haunt his dreams for me if he doesn't right?" She said, smiling a little.

"Of course, m'lady." He said, bowing his head.

She smiled and built up the courage to walk close to him. His claws alone were several times larger than her body. She gulped as she observed him. He looked quite nervous, which Saito found both strange and extremely irritating.

"You look really cool!" Louise said, still kind of frightened of him.

"Ah, don't praise someone of lesser status than yourself, Lady Valliére." He said, embarrassed

Saito watched on with disbelief on his face. Gandalfr had always seemed so imposing and powerful before, but yet here he was now being Louise's lapdog. He could barely stand to watch them as Louise examined his claws, or as Gandalfr let her climb onto his head.

After a few minutes of messing around with him, he let Louise down onto the ground. She was now completely comfortable around him. She bowed towards him, feeling quite happy.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, sir." She said.

"The pleasure was mine, little Queen." He said, slowly bowing his head.

"Let's wake up, Saito. It's probably morning already." She said.

"Right." He said, slightly irritated.

He held the top of her head for a moment, and then they woke up in an instant. The sun was already rising, so they knew they had to hurry up and get ready. They scrambled to put their clothes on. Saito finished first, wearing the same clothes he wore when they arrived at the estate. Alex and Shion were already downstairs, having a romantic moment on one of the sofas.

"Guys, you can kiss later. We have to get going." Saito said.

They pulled apart, feeling embarrassed. After a few moments, Louise came downstairs wearing her school uniform. When they had made sure that they had everything, they went outside, where two carriages were waiting for them. Saito and Louise got in one, while Alex and Shion got into the other.

While in the carriage, Louise looked rather nervous.

"What's wrong, Louise?" Saito asked.

"I umm…I got you a present in town yesterday, but I don't know if you'll like it." She said, sheepishly.

"That's sweet. What is it?" He asked.

She took a deep breath and reached under her robe. She pulled out a simple, silver ring with a thin, radiant sapphire glistening in its center. Saito's name was etched into the ring in Japanese.

"Here." She said. "I never got you an engagement ring, so I went into town to have one made for you."

In a fair bit of shock, Saito slowly put on the ring. It fit perfectly onto his ring finger and seemed to glisten more when it made contact with him.

"Thank you so much. It's beautiful." Saito said.

He hugged her and kissed her cheek. Happy that he actually liked it, she returned his hug. They remained holding each other for the entire trip to Henrietta's Palace. It was a long journey, but at around midday, they finally arrived. As they stepped out of their carriages, Agnes came outside to greet them.

"Good afternoon, my lords. I hope you found your vacation relaxing." She said.

"Yeah! It was great! Thanks for asking!" Alex said, smiling.

She smiled and led them into the Palace. She took them to the room they had originally met in when they had been told to assassinate Joseph. Sitting on a chair, surrounded by imperial documents, was Henrietta. She immediately noticed them when they walked into the room.

"Saito, Louise, Alex, Shion! It's so nice to see you again!" She said as she hugged each of them, particularly Louise.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Sister." Louise said, hugging her back.

They each took a seat around a circular table. Henrietta sat down holding a handful of documents. She laid them on the table and sighed. She then looked at each of them.

"Right! Before I can officially hand over ownership of your respective lands to you, we must first go over your terms for your ownership." She said.

"Terms?" They all said at the same time.

"Yes. What will be agreed upon in this room will affect Tristain for years to come, so please think carefully." Henrietta replied.

"Damn it!" Saito thought to himself. "I never thought I'd become a ruler. What the hell am I supposed to say?"

They all sat quietly, contemplating their options. After all, what they would decide upon would not only affect Tristain, but also each of their legacies as well.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First and foremost, I know it's probably not that good. I mean…none of the chapters are, but sorry if this one I particularly bad. I'm not feeling well at all, so bear with me on this. Thanks for reading, either way! See you next time!**


	19. Chapter 19: The New Kings

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I wasn't going to post a chapter today cause I'm still feeling a little sick, but I felt kind of guilty about it so…here it is! It's a little late in the day, but I'm happy I got it done anyway! I hope whoever still reads this enjoys it!**

 **Chapter 19: The New Kings**

Saito had been thinking silently for several minutes. It was today that he would be officially declared ruler of a nation or a state of Tristain. He would have to decide how its government would run, as well as what laws it would have. It took him quite a while, but he finally spoke up.

"I would like this territory to be a sovereign state of its own." He said, rather nervously.

"Very well." Henrietta said. "And how will you rule this nation?"

"A Monarchy." He replied.

"Ah, so you would like to be a king?" Henrietta asked.

"Yes, but not because of greed. I don't trust anyone else other than those close to me to govern a nation. I've seen too much corruption. In both my world and this one." He explained. "I would also like to borrow Tristain's laws. It would make travelling between the two nations much easier."

"I understand." Henrietta replied. She turned and looked at Alex and Shion. "And what about you two?"

"We would like to rule as King and Queen, similar to Saito and Louise." Shion said.

Henrietta nodded. "Okay. Since you will be independent nations, we must consider your diplomatic relations with your neighboring countries."

"We would all like to be allies of Tristain, Albion, and Gallia." Saito said. His three companions nodded in agreement.

"And what of Germania and Romalia?" Henrietta said.

"Gallia stands between Tristain and Romalia, so they are not our main concern as of now." Shion replied. "As for Germania…"

"We cannot trust Albrecht." Alex said, continuing Shion's sentence.

"And why is that? It would be beneficial to have access to Germania's massive armies." Henrietta said, slightly confused.

Knowing that it wouldn't help at the moment to explain the exact reason why, Louise interrupted Alex. "We just don't know him very well. It would be best to talk with him."

"He can be quite the strange man, so you're probably right." Henrietta said. She grabbed a stack of documents and laid them out on the table. "These are documents that will cement your status as monarchs and the rulers of sovereign states. You must sign all of them to be internationally recognized."

There were at least 100 documents in Saito and Louise's stack of papers. It would take several hours to go through all of them. Alex and Shion had an equally large pile, if not slightly larger due to their unknown backgrounds. For several hours, the carefully read each document. By the time they were finished, it was already extremely late into the night.

Saito got up and stretched his body. "Finally finished!" He said in relief. Louise was silent from fatigue, barely able to lift her head up after the boredom that was signing those papers. Alex and Shion finished a few moments afterwards.

"I guess that's it!" Alex said to Saito. "How does it feel to officially be a king?"

"Pretty good!" Saito said when it finally dawned on him that he had actually become something he had dreamed of as a small boy. His somewhat immature mind felt a sense of pride when he let it set in that he was, in fact, a king.

Shion, who didn't seem fazed by the several hours of paperwork, sorted the papers into neat piles before turning to look at the two boys, who were reveling in their newfound nobility.

"Listen up!" She said sharply, instantly grabbing their attention. "I just want to make it clear that our nobility shouldn't change who we are. Just because we're leaders now doesn't mean we should become any different!"

"Understood!" They both said, as if speaking to a drill sergeant.

Shion pulled Alex's ear. "You also need to be more mature when speaking to your people! You look like a kid, so you'll have to be more assertive in making sure they understand your position!" She said.

"Yes, ma'am!" Alex replied, trying to get her off of his ear.

Soon afterwards, Henrietta entered the room. She had left to allow them to complete their paperwork in peace. She looked very tired and didn't say anything. She sat down and quickly looked at all of the papers to make sure they had all been signed. After a few minutes, she got up.

"Great! Congratulations King Hiraga, King Alexandre, Queen Valliére, and Queen Shion." She bowed towards them. They all bowed towards her as well. After a few seconds, she stood up and smiled at the group.

"The official ceremony declaring your leadership will be held in two days in the capital of Tristain. In the meantime, you may do as you please." She said.

"Thank you, Queen Henrietta." They all said.

She left the room, leaving them to discuss their situation.

"What are you guys going to do?" Alex asked Saito and Louise.

Saito looked at Louise, leaving the decision to her. "Well, I would like to go back to the Academy to see our friends and personally invite them to the ceremony." She said. "How about you?"

"We decided that we'd go and have our clothes made for the ceremony." Shion said.

"We'll do that after we visit our friends." Louise said.

They all hugged and went to their bedrooms to sleep for a few hours before their busy 2 days began. In his bedroom, Saito stayed awake. He didn't feel even a little tired. Louise had already fallen into a deep sleep next to him. He stood up and walked to the large window that dominated a wall of the bedroom.

"What's wrong, Partner?" Said Derf, who had noticed Saito's strange mood.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about some stuff, that's all." Saito replied, staring out of the window.

"Worried about your promotion?" Derf said.

"No. I'm more worried about Louise now than myself. Albrecht wanted me dead, and now that Louise is going to be my Queen, the whole world will know that she's the one I'm in love with. That puts her in danger. Not just from Germania, but from whoever is out there who wants to get to me." Saito explained.

"That's why you're her king." Derf replied. "You're the one who can protect her."

Saito was silent. He looked at his reflection in the window. He wondered what had happened in his life for him to end up in this situation. It was then that he noticed that his remaining blue eye had begun to form a very slight orange ring on the edge of his iris. He also noticed that his canine teeth were slightly longer and sharper than before.

"Must be because I unsealed Gandalfr." He thought to himself.

He thought about how he was no longer human. He was well aware when he was unsealing Gandalfr that this sort of thing could happen. He had watched enough anime to know that, but it still unsettled him. He still looked normal from the outside apart from his eye, but he was also conscious that he had been keeping a film of magic over his body to stop himself from burning someone.

"How far is this going to go?" He said to himself.

"How far is what going to go?" Derf asked.

Saito had completely forgotten that Derf was there. "Nothing!" He replied. "I'm going to go take a bath. Want to come with me?"

"Sure! I've got nothing better to do anyway." Derf said, doing his best to hide how excited he was to spend some time with Saito.

Saito put Derf on his back and walked into the massive bathroom attached to his bedroom. It was made to look like a spa. If it was not for the door leading to it, one would have thought they were in a hot spring in the wilderness. He stopped cloaking himself in his magic so that he could enjoy the bath entirely.

Saito undressed and poured hot water into the large stone bathtub. As he stepped into the water, he immediately jumped back as if the water had burnt him. Derf started to laugh at him.

"Too hot for you, Partner? That's what you get. I told you to add more cold water to it." He mocked.

"No, it's way too cold." Saito said, much to Derf's surprise.

He left the room for a few minutes. He came back with a large pot of boiling water. He kept going in and out of the room several times, each time bringing back a pot of boiling water. Finally, he poured all of it into the bathtub and began to step into it.

"Are you crazy?! You'll cook yourself to death!" Derf exclaimed.

Paying no attention to him, Saito sat down in the water. After a few seconds, he let out a sigh of relief.

"That's better." He said with a smile on his face.

Derf was in disbelief. "What happened to you? You're different." He said.

At this time, Saito realized that he had never explained his meeting with Gandalfr to Derf. He didn't feel like doing so at the moment, either. "I just met someone. They helped me get stronger, so this is the side effect."

"And what did this person look like?" Derf asked, suspicious of Saito's explanation.

"They were big and scary. That's all I remember." Saito replied, dismissively.

"You're shady, but I'll trust you on this one." Derf replied.

Saito chuckled lightly. He turned his attention to his left arm. It still looked slightly scarred from his second arrival in Halkeginia. His runes glowed a dull red.

"You know, Derf, I've never bothered to look at myself with my eye." Saito said.

"How come? It might give you a clue or something." Derf said.

"I wouldn't be able to make anything out of whatever I find. Even Colbert didn't know what these runes are." Saito replied. "Still, I'm curious, so I guess I'll give it a shot."

He slowly closed his eyes in preparation. After a few seconds, they shot open, his left eye glowing bright orange. His vision had become extremely sharp and everything now had an orange hue. He looked slowly down at his arm. His runes were shining brightly in this vision. They looked as if some kind of bright liquid was flowing through them rapidly.

Unable to deduce anything of value, he turned his eye back to normal and laid back in the tub. "Nothing." Saito said, somewhat disappointed.

"Hey, Partner. Don't worry. We'll figure all this out. We'll find out why we were sent back. There has to be a reason." Derf said.

Saito smiled. "Thanks for the support, Derf."

"By the way, aren't you tired? You've been up for a long time. It'll be morning soon." Derf replied.

"I'm not tired at all. I could force myself to sleep, I suppose." Saito said.

He got up from the water. A towel hanged on the door, but by the time he had walked over to it, his body was completely dry. Feeling that this was rather handy, he cloaked his body in his magic and went to lay next to Louise. She had somehow subconsciously noticed that he was in bed and wrapped her arms around him, making him smile.

Although he was now quite comfortable, he was still unable to sleep. He chose that having a conversation with Gandalfr was probably the best way of passing the time. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Almost instantly, he awoke in front of the giant beast. It was sitting on the ground like a dog would, looking down at him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Gandalfr said, mocking Saito.

Saito rolled his eyes and sat on the ground. "How far is this going to go?" He asked.

"You'll have to be a little more specific than that, boy." Gandalfr replied.

"My body is changing. I just want to know how far it'll go. Will I even be recognizable as a human by the time it stops." Saito explained.

"Ah. You'll be fine. You'll be recognizable as a human with…different features." The beast said as it laid down.

"I know that what happens to me is entirely dependent on how I absorbed the "other you". Considering I know what you look like now, what features will I inherit from you? How obvious will they be?" Saito continued.

Gandalfr thought for a moment. "No one has ever absorbed my entire being before. Sasha was the only one who came close, and even then, what she absorbed was the equivalent of removing a grain of sand from a beach, therefore it had no effect on her physical appearance. You have absorbed the "me" in my entirety, so the cosmetic changes may be more apparent. Do not worry though, you will still be human."

Saito took a deep breath. "I see. I already noticed that my right eye has started to change. My teeth too. Even my senses feel more acute than before."

"That's too be expected." Gandalfr said.

Saito felt relieved that he would at least still be human. However, the thought of his humanity gave him another question.

"Hey Gandalfr, what exactly are you?" Saito asked.

Gandalfr was silent for a few moments. "Humans no longer have a name for my kind of being. As for my origins, even I do not know. One day I just...woke up, as if I had been asleep for a long time. I was much smaller than I am now and had no memory of anything prior. I suppose you could say I was born. After some time, a group of young humans found me and started to care for me. However, when their elders learned of this, they ordered for me to be banished from the village. The young ones who cared for me chose to disobey these orders, and for this, they were murdered. I became extremely angry. I don't remember what happened, but I awoke surrounded by nothing but flames and charred bodies. At the time, I didn't know what had happened, but I now know it was I who killed those people. Soon, other humans learned of the power I possessed and attempted to capture me. For years they tried and tried, until one day, a group of them found me in a forest. I had grown to about half the size I am now by this point. This scared them and they ran away. From then on, I had decided that fear was the best way to get what I wanted."

Saito was eagerly awaiting to hear the rest of the story, but Gandalfr stopped there. "It is time for you to wake up, boy. I have entertained you enough with my stories. Besides, you have pressing matters to attend to."

Saito pouted, but knew Gandalfr was right. "Fine, but you better finish the story next time!" He said.

Almost instantly, he woke up. Louise was stroking his hair lightly, waiting for him to wake up. He turned to look into her eyes.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." She said, smiling.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." He replied.

He gave her a long kiss before standing to dress for the day. He chose to wear his normal clothes, a blue and white hoodie with jeans and sneakers. Since she was going back to the academy, Louise chose to wear her school uniform. They quickly said goodbye to Alex and Shion, who were still half asleep in their room, and got into a carriage going to the Academy. Whilst in the carriage, Louise had been staring at Saito for several minutes, causing Saito to become uncomfortable.

"What is it?" He asked, rather embarrassed.

"Your eyes." Louise said. "They're both orange."

"What?!" Saito said.

He looked into his reflection. Indeed, both his right eye had turned even more orange than before, although it was peppered with spots of blue. In fact it seemed the color in his eyes had switched from how it was before, as the majority of the iris was orange with a blue ring surrounding it.

"Well, I don't feel any different. I'm going to miss my blue eyes." He said.

"One of them is still kind of blue though." Louise said, trying to comfort him.

"I hope it ends soon." He said to himself.

"What?" Louise asked.

"Nothing!" Saito replied quickly.

It took them several hours to finally arrive, the majority of which were occupied with Saito fending off Louise's questions. When they got to the academy, it was already mid-day. Students walked around the courtyards as they played games and ate lunch together. As Saito and Louise walked through the front gate, they heard familiar voices calling them. Kirche, Montmorency, Tabitha, and Guiche ran towards them and gave them a group hug.

"It's been too long!" Kirche said to Saito, holding his arm on her chest. She was sure this would make Louise upset, but both Louise and Saito seemed not to notice. They simply took it as Kirche being friendly.

"It's nice to see you too, everyone!" Saito said. "Why don't we all go have some food and talk for a while?"

They all agreed, however, Kirche was still quite stumped as to why neither of the two made a reaction to her obviously lecherous action. She observed Louise as they ate lunch together. She seemed entirely normal. Nothing had change about her.

"Maybe they broke up!" Kirche thought to herself.

She felt immense glee when what she thought was the obvious reason dawned on her. She, along with everyone else, had failed to notice the two rings on their fingers shining brightly in the sun.

"Hey, Saito." She said. "My bed broke in my bedroom. You're a handy guy, so do you think you can help me fix it?"

"Sure!" Saito said, smiling. "Hey, Louise. Do you mind if I leave for a few minutes to help?"

Louise shook her head. "Not at all. Make sure you do a good job, okay?"

Everyone had to do their best to hide their shock from this reaction.

"Okay!" Saito said as he walked away with Kirche.

"Louise…" Montmorency began. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, why?" Louise asked, completely oblivious as to the reason why she'd ask.

Montmorency didn't elaborate, instead changing the topic as quickly as possible.

In Kirche's room, Saito had begun to fix her bed. It had clearly been broken on purpose, but Saito was too absorbed in the task at hand to notice. He was surprisingly good at working with wood. In about an hour, he had fixed the problem with the bed, which happened to be that the legs had been broken off.

"It should be okay now." Saito said when he was finished.

"What do you say we test it out?" Kirche said, scandalously.

"Great idea." Saito said.

Expecting Saito to jump onto her, Kirche closed her eyes and puckered her lips. However, a kiss never came. Instead, she heard creaking from the bed. She opened her eyes to see Saito jumping up and down on the bed. She watched in disbelief for several minutes as he jumped with varying degrees of harshness. Eventually, he jumped down onto the floor.

"Yep, it's nice and strong now." He said. "No need to say thanks or anything. You're a friend, so I'm happy to have helped."

With that, he happily walked out of the room, leaving Kirche in shock. It took her a few moments, but she eventually got up and ran downstairs. She saw Saito conversing happily with Louise and the rest of their friends.

"Hey Kirche, we decided to go shopping today. Wanna come?" Louise asked, smiling at her.

"S-Sure." Kirche replied.

They went out to a nearby town to shop for various items. Kirche would spend the rest of the day trying everything in her power to get Saito to fawn over her. From 'accidentally' falling onto him, to 'accidentally' going into the guy's bathroom when he was the only one there. However, nothing worked. Seemingly everyone was aware of her attempts. Everyone except Louise and Saito.

At the end of the day, they ate dinner in one of the ballrooms at the Academy. Everyone was in shock after witnessing Louise's mundane behavior. Malicorne, who had joined them when they came back from their shopping trip, had already been told the stories by Guiche and was eating in silence, quietly observing Louise and Saito

"Oh! Before we forget!" Saito said. He pulled five envelopes from under his hoodie, each with the Tristanian Imperial Crest stamped into them with red wax. "These are for you."

Guiche opened his first. His eyes widened as he read it. "Invitations to the crowning of a new King?! Four new Kings?! How did you get these?!" He asked Saito, excitedly.

"Henrietta gave them to us as rewards." Louise explained.

"Which countries are getting new Kings?" Montmorency asked.

"Some random small countries that have some ties with Tristain. I don't remember their names." Saito said.

He was, of course, lying. Saito and Louise had already planned the whole surprise. None of their friends knew that they were now royals. As far as they knew, they were simply high-ranking knights who were close to the Queen.

"Thank you so much!" Kirche said, mostly to Saito.

"One more thing as well." Louise said. She pulled 5 more envelopes from under her robe. These ones were stamped with a crest that no one there recognized.

"What are these?" Malicorne asked.

"Invitations to a wedding in a few months." Louise said, smiling.

"Oh, how adorable!" Montmorency said as she started opening the letter. "Whose wedding is it?"

She opened the letter and began to read it.

"It's ours." Saito and Louise said at the same time, just as Montmorency's eyes landed on the text on the letter confirming that it was indeed an invitation for a wedding between Saito and Louise.

Her eyes began to twitch nervously as she looked at Saito and Louise, who were holding each other. It was at this moment that everyone noticed the glistening rings that adorned each of their fingers. Everything remained silent for several seconds.

Saito and Louise's friends were completely frozen for several seconds before finally, in perfect unison, they all made a single noise.

"EHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First and foremost, sorry for the long hiatus. I was very sick and needed time to recover. I'mbetter now though! I only feel a little sick, so I'll be back to writing several chapters weekly. Even though I haven't written in more than a week, support has been tremendous, so thank you so much. Leave a review and follow the story, please! It really makes me feel better. Anyway, thanks for reading! Take care!**


	20. Chapter 20: The Coronation

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey there, guys! I'm fully recovered now, so I'll be posting chapters a little more frequently. Other than that, if you guys have anything that you'd like to see, don't be afraid to send me some suggestions in pm's. I'll answer your PM's as soon as possible. Anyway, without further ado, enjoy chapter 20!**

 **Chapter 20: The Coronation**

Montmorency, Kirche, Malicorne, Guiche, and even Tabitha had their mouths wide open in shock. They could hardly believe what the letters they were holding said.

"You are personally invited to witness the holy matrimony between Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Valliére and Chevalier de Hiraga. Further information regarding date and location will be brought to your attention at another time. Please inform those who are to be married of your acceptance or rejection of this invitation."

After several moments of silence, Montmorency, Tabitha, and Kirche dragged Louise away to have a discussion with her. Guiche and Malicorne did the same with Saito.

"Louise! What the hell are you thinking?! Are you okay?!" Kirche asked, feeling a variety of different emotions about the news of her marriage.

"What do you mean?" Louise asked, bewildered.

"Did he force this on you? I'll sort him out for you, don't worry!" Montmorency said.

Tabitha was completely silent, but it was very obvious that the whole affair made her excited.

"Guys, guys!" Louise began. "He didn't force this on me. He proposed to me and I accepted."

They all stared at her in disbelief. They had never seen her look so happy, so they thought that she must have been telling the truth. They had all somewhat accepted that she was, in fact, getting married. All of them except Kirche, who seemed more agitated.

"But he's just a plebian." She said. "Wouldn't you want to marry someone of a higher status? I don't think you should go through with this."

"Whether he was born a plebian or not doesn't matter. He's a good person and I love him. He's been loyal and never lets me down. I'll spend the rest of my life with him because it's something I want to do." Louise said with a staggering amount of confidence.

This expression of affection gained her applause from Montmorency and Tabitha. Kirche knew she couldn't keep arguing, so she simply sat down, slightly disheveled.

Meanwhile, Saito was having a much better time. Malicorne and Guiche had instantly accepted the fact that Saito was now engaged. They dragged him away to begin planning his wedding.

"Which of us gets to be best man?" They asked.

"Uhhh, I guess both of you? The wedding won't happen for a few months, so we haven't figured out all the details. I'll let you know, alright?" Saito responded, slightly nervous.

"Ah, fine. So where is this going to take place?" Guiche asked.

"It's a secret." Saito said, smiling. "But I'm going to need you two to keep it a secret. We'll be announcing our marriage soon."

Guiche was confused as to what he meant by 'announcing', but chose not to ask. By this time, it was starting to become dark. Louise had finally broken free from Montmorency, Tabitha, and Kirche. She dragged Saito away immediately and ran to her room, where they were finally alone.

"I'm glad that's over." She said.

"Yeah." Saito sighed. "We should probably have our clothes made tomorrow by the way. We can't forget about our coronations."

Louise nodded. "Any ideas as to what you're going to wear?"

"I have a few. We'll figure it out tomorrow." Saito replied as he laid down on Louise's bed.

Louise changed her clothes at this point. Normally, Saito would be having perverted thoughts, but he had somehow changed after the time he spent in Halkeginia for a second time. Perhaps it was because he was now engaged or because he had too much on his mind. Either way, he didn't see anything wrong with the situation.

One thought, however, did cross his mind. He quickly activated his magic and looked at her abdomen. Again, he saw one large ball of light. Before she could notice, he deactivated his magic, laying back on the bed with relief. She put on her night gown and laid down next to him. She put her hand on his chest. Even through his clothes, she could feel several scars on his body.

"What happened to you?" She asked.

"Hm? Oh that." He said. "I hate arrows. That's all I can really say about that."

"Is it from when you fought Albion." She replied.

"Yeah. Some of them are new though." He said.

She felt bad upon hearing this. It had never occurred to her just how much he had been hurt for her sake. A feeling of guilt quickly overcame her. Saito noticed her suddenly gloomy mood, so he kissed her forehead to cheer her up.

"I would gladly get every single one of them again as long as you're with me. Don't feel bad about it." He said, giving her as sincere a smile as possible.

She instantly felt better and gave him a kiss. They remained like that for several minutes before Louise finally fell asleep. Saito, who again did not feel tired, laid awake next to her. He thought about how since returning to Halkeginia, he had no time to figure out why he was sent back in time in the first place. He knew that the only other major threat that he knew for sure he would have to face was the Ancient Dragon. However, this was at least one year away, so it didn't bother him so much.

"Feeling troubled, boy?" Said a voice that Saito recognized.

"I'm just thinking of the future, Gandalfr. I don-wait. How come I can hear you?" He asked in his head.

"Since you removed my seal, its made it easier for me to communicate with you." Gandalfr said.

"Oh. That makes…some sense maybe. Anyway, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about the next few days." Saito replied.

"You must be honored." Gandalfr said.

"More like anxious. By the way, why can't I sleep?" Saito asked.

"It is most likely from stress. I myself require periods of sleep in order to perform correctly, so I doubt it has anything to do with fusing with my other self." Ganalfr explained.

"I guess I do need a little relaxation. I won't be getting any for a while though." Saito said. "Hey, is there a way you can put me to sleep?"

"That is not a power I possess. Force yourself to fall asleep." Gandalfr replied.

Saito said nothing afterwards. He held Louise closer to himself, letting her presence relax him until eventually, he fell unconscious.

He woke up the next morning to the sight of Louise getting dressed. He was extremely groggy, but forced himself to get up.

"We have to have clothes made today right?" He asked.

"Yeah. We should probably leave before Kirche and the others know. After all, they don't know the coronation is for us." She replied.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Saito replied.

He quickly put on his clothes. Before long, both of them were outside the gates of the academy. They found a carriage to take them to a nearby town. They wandered around for a little while before they managed to find a tailor shop.

"I've heard good things about this shop." Louise said. "We'll be able to have anything that we want made here."

"Great. I guess I'll see you in a few hours." Saito replied, smiling at her. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you wear tomorrow."

She nodded and they both walked into the store. An old man and an old woman greeted them.

"My, what a beautiful young woman!" Said the old lady.

"And such a dashing young man!" Said the old man. "My name is Ko. This is my wife, Lili."

"Nice to meet you both." Saito and Louise said, bowing.

"I am Hiraga Saito. This is my fiancé, Louise de la Valliére." Saito said.

"A pleasure to meet you." The told old people said as they bowed.

"May I ask where you are from, Ko? Your name sounds foreign." Saito said.

"As does yours, young sir. I'm from a land far away. I hardly remember what it looks like anymore. Anyway, it's always nice to see young ones like yourselves getting married. It really warms my heart." He said, laughing.

"Now then, I'm sure you two didn't come here to make small talk." Lili said. "What kind of clothes would you like?"

"Well, we need clothes that would be fit for a king and a queen. That's why we came here. I heard you could make custom clothes for people." Louise said.

"Indeed we can." Ko replied. "But why for a king and queen?"

"We're going to be performing in a play of sorts, so we need costumes to wear." Saito said. He had already thought of an excuse, just in case they would need one.

"Ah, I see." Ko said. "Lili can help your future wife with her clothes. What do you say you and I help you pick something nice, eh?"

"Sure thing!" Saito replied, excitedly. "See you later, Louise!"

She smiled at him as he ran into the men's section of the store, while she and Lili browsed the woman's section. For several hours, they all looked through a variety of different materials and designs. By the time they were done, the sun had already begun to set. During this time, Saito had attempted to ask Ko more about his origins, but Ko skillfully dodged every question.

After they had finished having their clothes ordered, Ko and Lili had told Louise and Saito to wait at the entrance of the building. They didn't know why they had to wait there, but they made pleasant small talk as they did. After a few minutes, Ko and Lili came out of a back room holding two boxes with Louise and Saito's names on them.

"These are your clothes. We hope you like them!" They said.

"How did you finish these so quickly?!" Saito asked.

"It's our special magic!" Lili said, smiling. "It's top secret, so we can't tell!"

"Oh okay." Saito said, with his curiosity now overflowing. "Thanks anyway! See you later!"

The old couple bowed as Saito and Louise went on their way. It took them about an hour or so to get back to the Academy. When they finally arrived, they found their friends sitting outside, obviously talking about Louise.

"Hello, everyone!" Louise said.

"Hi, Louise!" Montmorency said. "What's with the boxes?"

"Oh, this is just some stuff we had to pick up for the Queen." Louise said. "We have to leave for the palace tonight, we just stopped by to say goodbye for now. We'll see each other at the coronation tomorrow, okay?"

"Right!" They all said in response.

Saito gave them a small salute before he and Louise went back into their carriage and headed towards the capital of Tristain, Tristania.

As soon as they arrived at Henrietta's palace, they went to their room, where Louise instantly fell asleep. Saito, rather strangely, also felt tired. He laid down next to Louise and fell asleep within a few minutes.

He woke up early the next morning. Louise had already woken up and was stroking his cheek.

"Good morning, Your Highness." She said, smiling at him.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." He said.

He gave her a kiss and sat up. His back felt rather stiff, which he assumed was because of improper posture.

"The coronation takes place at noon, so around 4 hours from now." Louise said. "We have a little bit of time before we have to prepare."

He laid back down in bed, realizing she was probably right. "Yeah. So what do you want to do?" He asked.

She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. "I'm fine like this." She said.

He felt extremely happy. However, she suddenly looked at him with concerned eyes. "Your spine feels weird." She said.

It was then that he realized that her hand was on his back the whole time. "I just slept awkwardly. Nothing to worry about." He replied.

"If you say so. I'll have someone look at it later." She said as she laid her head back onto him.

They lay together for 3 hours, talking about where they were from and what they did as children. Unfortunately, they were soon interrupted by the growing sound of a crowd outside.

"I guess it's time to get ready." Saito said.

Louise nodded and stood up. They each went to separate rooms to change into their clothes. In his changing room, Saito found Alexandre.

"Hey, how've you been?" Alex said.

"Pretty good. I just can't wait for all this to end." Saito replied.

Alex nodded in agreement. "Well, let's get changed."

It took them quite a long time to change. When they were finally finished, they looked into a mirror with each other. Alex, who knew nothing of royal attire, wore a short, black coat that was lined with silver fur. He had long, grey pants and black leather shoes. He also chose to braid his hair, adding to his look of higher class. Overall, he looked quite dashing, although not particularly kingly.

Saito wore a long dark blue coat which was closed over his chest and stomach. It had bright orange highlights lining its edges. It had short sleeves which only reached halfway between his shoulders and elbows. Inside the coat, he wore a black, long sleeved shirt. He wore long white pants and black shoes. On his hands, he wore white gloves whose openings had orange lining. Derf hung from his back in a dark blue scabbard. Its opening and tip were lined with bronze metal.

"Looking good, Saito." Alex said, admiring his own looks.

"Likewise, Alex." Saito said.

"Why orange though?" Alex asked.

Saito simply pointed at his eyes. The one blue eye he had left was now mostly orange, with blue highlighting the outside of his iris. He turned around, looking at himself in the mirror. Feeling satisfied, he patted Alex on the shoulder and walked out of the room. He went back to his bedroom, where he found Louise tying her hair.

She wore a long light blue dress that was tied behind her back to cover her chest. It was simple, but elegant. It was made out of a material he hadn't seen before. It was very slightly iredescent, shining a shade of dark blue in certain light. She was also wearing long white gloves that reached halfway between her elbows and shoulders. Just like Saito, she wore her engagement ring over her gloves. She chose not to wear any make up, and simply tied her hair instead.

"Is it too simple?" She asked without looking at him.

"It's beautiful." He said, hugging her from behind.

"You look very handsome as well." She said as she turned around.

They shared a long kiss. After pulling apart, they held hands and walked towards the balcony that overlooked the large crowd. It would be there that they would be crowned. On the way, they encountered Alex and Shion.

Shion wore a dark purple silk dress. It covered her chest and had sleeves, leaving the only visible parts of her body being her neck, head, and hands. Her face also seemed to have a small amount of glitter peppered onto it. As beautiful as she looked, she also looked extremely nervous. She was tightly holding Alex's hand, making him feel a little pain.

"Are you ready?" Louise asked.

Everyone nodded. Outside they could hear a large crowd eagerly awaiting their arrival. After a few moments, Henrietta arrived behind them. She was smiling brightly.

"Hello everyone! The time has finally come. I suppose I will introduce you all to the people. Follow me!" She said.

They followed her to the balcony, where she told them to wait before stepping onto it, as she had to properly introduce them. Through the curtains, they could see a massive crowd gathered below them, making each of them feel nervous. 4 red thrones were place on the balcony, behind 3 of which stood Wales, Albrecht, and someone who Saito at first recognized as Tabitha, but soon realized was her identical sister Josette.

Henrietta stepped behind the fourth seat and began to address the public. "Citizens of Tristain and its allies, today, we welcome two new kingdoms into Halkeginia! Their leaders, while young and inexperienced, have proven to be extremely brave and dependable! Please do not underestimate them! So without further ado, I ask these new leaders to please step onto this balcony, so that the citizens of Halkeginia may greet them!"

Behind the curtains of the balcony, Saito, Alex, Shion, and Louise took deep breaths. As the cheers of the crowd strengthened, they stepped into the light of the balcony. The ringing of cheers in their ears was almost deafening. They waved to the crowd, trying their best to look unfazed. In the VIP section of the event, which was located on the roof of a nearby hotel, Saito managed to spot Montmorency, Guiche, Tabitha, Kirche, and Malicorne, who all looked as if they'd seen a ghost.

They sat in each of the thrones set out for them as the 4 rulers standing behind them silenced the crowd. As Saito began to feel uncomfortable, he felt something get put on his head. He turned to look at his companions, who seemed just as confused as him. He soon, however, realized what was happening.

A crown was now resting on his head. It was made of solid silver and had 3 dark blue, circular diamonds in its centre. It was an open crown, allowing the top of his head to be seen. Its placement on his head was at a slight angle, as the crown was not symmetrical. Because of this, the 'center' of the crown was slightly angled on the side of his head.

Louise was given a silver tiara which was encrusted with 12 pink diamonds. Its metal was carved into a very complex shape, but was also symmetrical. Alex had been given an asymmetrical tiara-like crown. It was made of some sort of translucent, white stone and had a large, circular, black opal jewel encased within the stone of the crown.

Shion's crown, made of the same material as Alex's, looked much the same as his. The few differences it had were carvings of what appeared to represent water etched into the stone. The only other difference was that instead of a black gem within the stone, hers was a square shaped purple diamond instead.

"With these crowns, you have been made into the rulers of your lands. Please lead wisely." Henrietta said. She looked down at the crowd, who were waiting in eager silence. "Please, great citizens of Halkeginia, join me in welcoming these two new kings and two new queens. King Alexandre and Queen Shion of Alexandria, as well as King Hiraga and Queen Valliére of Côte de Nice!"

With these words, the crowd roared with cheers and claps. For several minutes, the crowd cheered and air horns were blown to celebrate their coronation. After a while, Henrietta spoke up again.

"I am afraid these new kings are feeling quite exhausted from all of this, so they will go and rest. Please, this will be a week of celebration and happiness. Enjoy yourselves. You will get a chance to meet them once they have rested." She said, smiling to the crowd.

With that she led the 4 new monarchs back into the building. They were clearly shaken by what had happened, so they just sat on the ground and started to laugh. After a few minutes, they got up and took deep breaths.

"Well, I guess its official now." Alex said.

"Yeah." Shion replied. "We have a lot of responsibility now."

"I'm going to relax in our room for a while. Want to come with me, Shion?" He said.

She nodded and looked back at Louise and Saito. "Congratulations, you two." She said, smiling.

She bowed to Henrietta and left with Alex, leaving Henrietta with Saito and Louise. Saito, who was still sitting on the ground, stood up. As he did, he seemed to wince in pain.

"Is your back still bothering you?" Louise asked.

"Yeah. It's probably nothing." He replied.

"I'm taking you to a doctor." Louise said.

"I'll inform our infirmary to prepare for your arrival." Henrietta said. "Take care."

She had a guard escort Saito and Louise to the infirmary. A man in a white lab coat arrived and greeted them.

"Hello. My name is Jacque. The doctor will be with you soon. In the meantime, please lay face down on this table." He said.

Saito was used to dealing with doctors already, so this didn't bother him at all. He removed his coat and laid down on the metal stretcher that was in front of him.

"Can you describe to me the symptoms you experienced?" Jacque said.

"I woke up this morning and my back felt really stiff. It was like there was more weight on it than normal." Saito replied.

"Interesting. I'll go and get the doctor. He'll diagnose you and inform you of what medical action will be taken. It was a pleasure to meet you." Jacque said.

He bowed and left the room. Shortly afterwards, an older woman came into the room wearing a similar lab coat, although hers had badges on her chest, supposedly indicating some kind of rank.

"Hallo!" She said with an accent that sounded somewhat German. "My name is Doctor Anne Braun. Nice to meet you!"

Saito shook her hand. "My name is Hiraga Saito. I assume you're Germanian?" He said.

She nodded. "Ja. Our people are known for our military prowess, but I have no interest in such things, so I came here to become a doctor. I'd like to ask about your name as well, but first, we must figure out what is wrong with your back. My assistant told me that you feel as if your back is supporting more weight than normal. Is this correct?"

Saito nodded. Anne put on gloves and then put her hand on several parts of Saito's spine.

"If your physical mass has not changed at all, the cause of this feeling is mostly likely that your vertebrae are being compressed for some reason. Where do you feel the most pain?" She asked.

"I feel it most in the middle of my back and especially at the base of my spine." He replied.

"I see. Your spine certainly feels extremely tight and stiff. I will have to see the actual vertebrae of your spine to figure out what is causing the compression. Don't worry, no surgery will be needed to do this. Just a little magic." She said.

She left the room for a few minutes before coming back with a large tub of water.

"This is a special kind of water I developed. I infused it with my magic. When it is absorbed by your body, it will cling to your bones for several hours and begin to glow. After that, I put you in a dark room. The water will glow brightly enough at this point for me to be able to see your skeleton in the dark." She explained.

"Where I'm from, we have a technique very similar to that. We don't use it to look at bones though, we use it to find other kinds of diseases. You're a very bright doctor." He said.

"Ah, I'm just an old bag with nothing better to do." She replied, smiling. "Now, please undress and step into this tub. You'll have to remain there for an hour or two for enough water to be absorbed by your body."

"Alright." Saito replied.

He quickly undressed and stepped into the water. It seemed to melt away the stress he felt in his back. He let out a sigh of relief, as this was the best he had felt in several hours.

"Your wife may stay here to keep you company. I'll come back to check on you in two hours." Anne said.

"Thanks for everything, Ms. Braun." Louise said.

"You're very much welcome, Your Majesty." Anne replied before leaving the room.

"How do you feel, Saito?" Louise asked.

"I feel great. The water is really relaxing." He replied.

"How do you plan to rule the nation?" She asked, rather bluntly.

"Well, back in my world, we used to have powerful kings and emperors. In the modern day though, most countries that have kings only have them for historical purposes. A king cant really work anymore in my world because most of them are corrupt and people like to be treated fairly. So, I want my subjects to be treated fairly. It's a small nation right now, so we have no reason to have heavy taxes on anyone. I thought a little about these things, you know. You didn't think I was that stupid, did you?" He said, looking at Louise.

"No, no! Of course not! It's just that I have no idea how to help you lead a country. I don't know what to do." She said quite sadly.

Saito held her hand. "You can help me by being at my side for as long as we rule together. I'm guaranteed to make mistakes and you're the only one who can steer me down the right path. Besides, making you happy is my number one priority, so everything will end up okay. You're a good person, so whatever will make you happy will definitely be a good thing."

Feeling happier now, she kissed his forehead. They sat alone for the one and a half hours telling each other fictional stories until a thought crossed Saito's mind. He thought about the book that Colbert had shown him so long ago.

"Hey, Louise." He said. "Don't you think Gandalfr kind of looks like that thing in the book Colbert showed me?"

She thought to herself for a few minutes. "I suppose he does. Why?"

"I'm going to ask him about it later. Maybe he knows something and hasn't told me for whatever reason." He replied.

"Mind if I talk to him with you?" She asked. "Just in case he becomes stubborn."

"Okay. Sure." He said.

After a few minutes, Dr. Braun came back into the room. "Alright!" She said. "Let's see how you're doing."

She handed him some white robes and waited for him to change. After he put them on, she took the tub of water away. She then came back and examined Saito's body.

"Okay. I'm going to put you in a dark room. Your bones will be shining brightly enough for me to see any imperfections." She explained.

Saito nodded. Dr. Braun led him and Louise to a wall made entirely of glass. Behind the glass, they couldn't see anything because it was completely dark. He walked through a door that led into the room. Dr. Braun turned all nearby lights off and waited for a few seconds. After a while, a glowing structure could be seen behind the wall of glass. It slowly got brighter until it was easily recognizable as a human skeleton.

Dr. Braun examined his body for several minutes. After some time, she turned on the lights and called Saito to her.

"Did you find anything?" He asked.

"Yes. It seems that you are…growing extra vertebrae…I counted two in total." She said. She sounded like she didn't believe what she was saying.

"What? So that's why it hurts?" Louise asked.

"Yes. It appears that the extra bones growing in your back are compressing the pre-existing vertebrae, causing them to feel pain. It's not a condition I've worked with before, so this is my hypothesis." Dr. Braun explained.

"Is there a way to fix this?" Saito asked.

"The only possible method of fixing this would be spinal surgery, but that is very risky and potentially lethal. I also do not think that you, who has just been crowned a king, should undergo a surgery this early into your reign." She explained.

"What could cause this?" Louise asked with concern.

"The only cause that comes to mind is that it may be hereditary. Children may be born with one extra vertebrae in their backs, but this rarely causes problems in their lives. Did anyone in your family ever have this condition?" Dr. Braun asked Saito.

He shook his head. "No one in my family has ever had any back problems at all."

"I see." Braun said. "Then unfortunately, I will have to keep monitering you until you stop feeling this pain, or until a reasonable explanation is found. Tell me, how bad is this pain?"

"It's not that bad. It just feels like I've been standing for a really long time." He replied.

"Okay. I will have a herbalist make you a pain killer. It should stop the feeling of aching in your back. I will visit you personally once a week to check on you and make sure whatever is happening to your back won't potentially prove lethal. If that becomes the case, surgery will be our only option." She explained.

"Thank you, Ms. Braun." Louise said.

She and Saito bowed to her and then left to their room in the palace. For several minutes, neither of them said anything. The mood in the room was gloomy and tense. It was as if the world around them came to a stop, as there wasn't a sound to be heard. After a few minutes, Louise finally decided to speak up.

"Do you think this has something to do with Gandalfr?" She asked.

"We should probably ask him." He replied.

She nodded and looked into his eyes. Before she knew it, she woke up in front of a giant, sleeping beast. Saito was standing next to her, holding her hand. He looked up at the sleeping beast and called its name. Within a few moments, it stirred in its sleep. It soon mustered the strength to sit up straight and look down at Saito and Louise.

"What do you want, boy?" He said, clearly upset that he was woken up.

"I'm sure you're already aware, but my spine is undergoing some kind of change. I want to know if this has anything to do with you." Saito said.

"It most likely does." Gandalfr said, bluntly.

"Is it going to kill him?" Louise asked.

"Absolutely not. It will cause discomfort for a little while, but it should go away with some time." He replied.

"Why is this happening to me?" Saito asked.

"Who knows. Whatever about your body changes normally shouldn't be extremely outstanding. Maybe your back will become stronger or something along those lines. Time will tell. Now, what else do you want from me?" Gandalfr said.

"Do you have a relationship with a being called Soren?" Louise asked.

"I seem to remember telling this boy that that being is nothing more than a legend conjured up by humans." He replied.

"You look eerily similar to the illustrations, that's all." Louise continued.

"If anything comes to mind, I will inform you. As of now, I hold no knowledge of such affairs. Now, if you will kindly excuse me, I would like to continue my nap." Gandalfr said as he laid back down and closed his eyes.

Saito and Louise decided against pursuing him any further. They both woke up in their bedroom after a few seconds.

"He definitely knows something." Louise said.

"Yeah. We should probably hold off on asking him about it for a while, though." Saito replied.

With his back still feeling uncomfortable, Louise helped him back into his coronation clothes and put his crown on his head.

"It's a good look for you." She said as she kissed his forehead.

He held her hand and looked into her eyes. Slowly, he leaned in to kiss her, but he was interrupted when Montmorency, Guiche, Tabitha, and Malicorne barged into their room. They looked somewhat furious, but were waiting for Saito and Louise to say something.

"H-Hey." Saito said, nervously.

"Hey…" They all said at once.

Everything was silent for several, uncomfortable moments. After a while, Guiche decided to speak up.

"So Saito, how does one such as yourself ascend to the rank of King?" He asked.

"Well, I did some stuff in the time that I was here. It's technically top secret, so I can't tell you the details." Saito said. "I hate to be immodest, but had I not arrived here, you would all most likely be dead."

"Still, it seems kind of suspicious." Guiche said.

"Come on, Guiche. Don't be jealous." Malicorne said.

"I'm not jealous! I'm just being cautious!" Guiche said.

"Either way, they're only small pieces of land. It's nothing major." Louise said.

"For now." Montmorency replied. "So…I assume you two are going to need some kind of advisors to help you right?"

"We'll choose our advisors sooner or later." Saito said, well aware of Montmorency's intentions. "Besides, for now, it's customary for us to visit our allied countries. We'll sort out everything else when that is done."

Saito was becoming increasingly irritated. Not because of his friends, but because his spine was starting to bother him more and more. He tugged the back of Louise's dress without the others noticing. She understood immediately what he meant.

"We're really tired from all of this, so could you please leave us to rest in peace?" She asked politely. "We'll catch up later."

She quickly rushed them out of the door and shut it behind them, locking it. With his friends gone, Saito laid down on the bed. Louise could tell that he was in agony, so she prepared a bath for him to help soothe him.

As he sat in his bath, the pain from his spine began to dissipate.

"How cruel." He thought to himself. "God made me a king, but gave me this in return. Still, at least it will go away. At least, that's what Gandalfr says. But I don't really know that much about him. Should I even trust him? Surely he could have killed me if he wanted to, so I guess I have no choice anyway."

As he pondered for several minutes, the warm water soon caused him to fall into a deep sleep. His dreams were haunted by images of monsters that looked like Gandalfr. One in particular frightened him. He couldn't get a good look at its features, but it somehow stood out to him.

He woke up only ten minutes later. The water in his bath had begun to evaporate because the barrier he kept around his body had been turned off in his sleep. He got dressed in pajamas and went to his bed, where Louise was waiting for him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just had a bad dream." He replied.

"Well, you should try and rest more. I'll sleep with you this time, so you don't have to be afraid." She said.

He smiled and gave her a kiss. After staying awake for a few minutes, he finally dozed off, with the thoughts of his previous nightmare still fresh in his head. As frightening as his dream had been, he decided that he wanted to see it again.

"Maybe." He thought to himself. "Maybe that nightmare could help me find out why I'm here."

It was a thought that was fueled by hope. Although he was happy, he still had not forgotten his mission. To find out how he was sent through time and, as a byproduct, by who.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Wow, this was a long chapter. For any of you still reading this, all I have to say is, you are a persistent bunch aren't ya? Not that I'm complaining of course. Thank you so much for reading! Please send me PM's about what you'd like to see. Anything from transformations and new races, to time skips and deaths. Anything that pops into your head! Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 21: Complications

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I was thinking about how to go about it. After a long period of pondering it, I just decided to wing it and see how it goes. So if it's absolute rubbish, now you know why. Anyway, with that out of the way, enjoy chapter 21!**

 **Chapter 21: Complications**

Saito woke up rather late in the morning. It had been a week since his coronation, and the festival celebrating Shion, Alex, Louise, and himself was still ongoing. Today, he and his friends would have to leave the Palace they were staying in to meet the citizens that had come to their coronation ceremony. The problem was, of course, that Saito was not currently very healthy.

Louise was nowhere to be found, so he decided that he was probably supposed to wake up hours ago. He stood up and attempted to walk to his bathroom to bathe, but he was unable to walk without some kind of support. With nothing nearby that he could use as a cane, he laid back down in bed, brooding over his condition. After about an hour, Louise came into the room with Dr. Braun.

"Hello, Your Highness." Dr. Braun said as she bowed towards him.

"Please, just call me Saito." He said.

"As you wish. Her Majesty Ms. Valliére came to find me saying that your back was being abnormal. Is that true?" She asked.

"Abnormal? It feels the same as it did last week." He replied.

"Well, let's see about that." Dr. Braun said. "Please remove your shirt and turn around."

Somewhat confused, Saito turned around and removed his shirt. He felt Dr. Braun's cold hands examining his spine. She poked it and moved it for several minutes before sitting on a chair in the room in deep thought. After a few minutes, she got up and closed all of the curtains, making the room pitch black. Saito was confused, but he heard Louise gasp in surprise, leading him to believe something was wrong.

"Louise, is something wrong?" He sheepishly asked.

"Your spine is visible through your skin." Dr. Braun said. "It's emitting a dull red glow."

She poked his back and pulled back extremely quickly.

"It's also emitting a very high amount of heat." She said as she sucked her burnt finger. "Is there something about you that I should know. This is definitely something unnatural."

He remained silent. No matter what he said now, Braun would know he's lying. However, he knew he couldn't tell her about the creature that was living inside him. He couldn't tell her about his status as a special kind of familiar. If information about that became known to the public, it could cause unrest and put his friends in danger.

"He is my familiar, Gandalfr. Because of the that, his body is experiencing some changes that we can't explain." Louise finally said.

Saito was too shocked and frightened to be able to argue against her decision. He simply watched as Dr. Braun listened to the rest of Louise's explanation. Luckily for him, Louise had refrained from telling Braun about the monster that lived inside of him, as well as how he was somehow transported two years back in time. She did, however, explain Gandalfr's existence and described his appearance.

"I see." Braun said when Louise was finally finished. "I am not particularly knowledgeable about familiars and the like, but it appears that being your familiar is changing his body. If that's the case, I'm afraid that I cannot give any substantial help. Would you like me to refer you to another doctor?"

"No." Saito said. "I was actually going to ask Henrietta if you could be our personal doctor. You've been really nice and I think you'd like my country. It's completely up to you, of course."

Dr. Braun thought for a few seconds, then smiled at the two. "That sounds great! Just make sure you pay me enough to afford my retirement, okay?" She said, jokingly.

"Of course." Saito and Louise said at once. "Now, about my back. I think our only option here is to wait for all of this to fix itself."

"How are you going to go out today if you can barely stand by yourself?" Louise asked.

"I've felt worse pain before. I'll just grit my teeth and deal with it. Leaders have to be strong, right?" He replied.

"Okay." Louise conceded. "But if you ever feel too tired, tell me. I'll have you sent home immediately."

He nodded and stood up. Louise helped him get into his clothes. He admired how he looked in the mirror before finally putting on his crown. He turned around and put Louise's crown on her head. He gave her a kiss and then they left the room with Dr. Braun, who insisted that they call her by her first name.

As they walked through the halls of the place towards the exit, they encountered Henrietta. She was going to be accompanying them into the festival, so Saito wanted to ask her a few questions.

"So, what are we supposed to do at the festival?" He asked.

"You're going to be paraded through town. Just make sure you look friendly. You'll have a short speech to address the citizens in the city. After that, the flags you chose for your nations will be unraveled and a massive party will be held. At this point, you may do as you please." Henrietta explained.

"Sounds like a long day." He sighed. "Anne, you can take the day off. I'll be fine."

Dr. Braun bowed. "Thank you very much, Saito. Have a good time, Ms. Louise." She said.

Saito, Louise, and Henrietta left the palace and got into a large, open carriage which was pulled by a large dragon. Alex and Shion were in a separate carriage that was parked alongside Saito and Louise's.

As soon as they got into the carriage, it began to move towards the center of the city. On either side of the road they were taking, large crowds waved at them. They threw flowers and gifts onto them as they cheered their arrival.

It took them about 3 hours for them to pass through every part of the city. When they finally reached the centre, they were beckoned onto a large stage. They would have to give a speech to address the country. All four of them had subconsciously decided that Saito would speak for himself and Louise, while Alex would speak for himself and Shion.

They stood on the stage in predesignated spots. As the crowd died down in noise, Saito began to speak. Some kind of magic was used to amplify his voice so that the whole city could hear him. It made him very nervous, but he spoke clearly anyway.

"When I was younger, I used to dream about being the King of my land. It was a dream that I, of course, never thought that it would happen. I never thought that I would amount to anything. I was average, if not bad, at everything. However, after I arrived here, I was taught that working hard could help to accomplish anything. I worked hard because I found someone that supported me and that I wanted to protect. Honestly, I have no experience in being any kind of ruler, but as long as she is with me, I'm sure everything will work out perfectly."

As he finished, the crowd burst into a cheer. He bowed and held Louise's hand. She could tell from his grip that he was extremely uncomfortable, but she couldn't say anything yet. As the crowd quieted down again, Alex cleared his throat and began his speech.

"Hello everyone. Like my comrade, His Majesty Hiraga, I never thought I would be in this position. In fact, I never aimed to be anything higher than a plebian. As a result, I ended up doing some awful things. Out of guilt and a lack of family or friends to go back to, I agreed to become a king. I hope that during my reign, I am able to atone for my countless sins by serving my people. Like His Majesty Hiraga, I found a person who I could live and die for. My Queen, Shion. As long as she is by my side, we will rule together happily. Thank you."

Just as he finished his speech, two large flags unraveled behind them. One, which unraveled behind Saito and Louise, was dark blue with the family Valliére crest in it center. The crest was surrounded by a large pink rhombus. The flag behind Alex and Shion was silver with Alex and Shion's initials in its center colored in purple.

With the flags on display, the crowd cheered again. A party in the city had officially began. At this point, Saito immediately headed back to his room with Louise. I took them more than an hour to arrive. When they entered the palace, Saito laid on his bed. He wasn't so much in pain, it was more like a large amount of discomfort.

Louise stroked his hair and before long, he fell asleep. His sleep was at first uncomfortable, but for some reason, he suddenly became more relaxed halfway through a nightmare he was having. In his nightmare, a great storm had come up his country. It was worse than any hurricane he had seen in his own world. However, it soon turned into a pleasant dream, with sunshine and vibrant colors.

He slept until the next morning. Something was tickling his nose, which is what woke him from his sleep.

"Hey, Louise. Stop tickling me." He said, sleepily. He covered himself with his blanket.

After a few seconds, he felt his arms being tickled as well. "Louise, come on. I'm trying to sleep."

He kept feeling it, so he got up and looked around. Louise wasn't in the room. He got up and walked into the bathroom. When he came back, he immediately laid back down and tried to go back to sleep. However, he soon felt the same tickling feeling. This time, however, he didn't say anything. He waited for a few seconds, then in a flash, grabbed the perpetrator.

When he examined what he had in his hands, it was not a person like he was expecting it to be. It was a long, flexible, glowing orange object. The glow seemed to be because it had a large amount of heat stored within it. Surely, if anyone was to touch it other than himself, they would get severe burns. He traced it with his hand, trying to find its origin.

When he did, his heart nearly stopped from fear. It was connected directly to the base of his back. He began to hyperventilate, so he opened his window to breath air from outside. When he finally calmed down, he took the opportunity to examine it. It was, indeed, a tail that was connected directly to the base of his spine. It didn't appear to have any skin. It just looked like a long piece of deep orange light. It felt like it had some mass, and he thought that he could feel the bones inside of it, but other than that, he didn't know anything else.

He paced around the room, thinking about what to do. He could barely control its movements, so it would be hard to sneak through the palace without anyone noticing it. As he was thinking, he heard knock on the door. He immediately jumped into bed, cloaking his body with magic so that he didn't burn the sheets.

Dr. Braun walked into the room and smiled at him. "Good morning, Saito." She said.

"M-Morning!" He replied, nervously.

"I'm just here to check your back. It won't take long." She said.

"About that…" Saito replied. "It feels all better now. No need to check."

"Unfortunately for you, I am a doctor." She said. "I have to do my duties and make sure you're healthy. Remember, you're a head of state now. You're more important than you're willing to realize. Now, turn around."

While making sure his new appendage was covered by his blanket, he reluctantly turned around. He felt her hands again, making their way down his spine. Luckily, he thought, she stopped just before she would have been able to see it. He breathed a sigh of relief.

As he started to relax, Dr. Braun sat on the bed. Unfortunately, she sat right on Saito's tail, causing him to squeal in pain.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing!" He said, obviously in pain.

Unfortunately, he accidentally moved his tail from underneath Dr. Braun, most likely as a reflex. It was now hanging in the air, shining brilliantly. He was extremely embarrassed, so he covered it back up in the blanket.

Dr. Braun did not appear to be in shock, she simply seemed intrigued. Without saying anything, she dragged him out of bed and took him to her lab. Once there, she sat in front of Saito, looking excited.

"So when did this happen?" She asked.

"I don't know. I felt really bad yesterday, so I came to bed early. When I woke up today, I had it." He replied.

"I see. I don't know how to put this nicely, but would you mind if I take a piece to research?" She said.

"Take all of it." Saito replied. "I don't want it."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Positive." He replied.

She sighed and said nothing. She went to one of her cupboards and pulled out a long knife.

"Ready?" She said

"Wait, what?! You're just going to cut it off like that?!" He exclaimed.

"Why, yes." She said. "Hold very still."

"Aren't you going to give me a sedative?" He asked.

"You won't need it." She said.

Without allowing him to say another word, she grabbed the tail. However, she soon realized that that was a mistake. It was immensely strong. No normal human could possibly be able to hold it down. Saito hadn't fully learned how to control it, so its movements were erratic, making it hard to hold. That said, she got a syringe from her cupboard and quickly injected Saito with something. Within a matter of seconds, he became still.

He was still very much conscious, but he had been paralyzed. He couldn't even speak, so all he could do was watch in terror as she lifted the blade into the air and brought it down at the base of the tail. However, much to his surprise, he didn't feel any pain.

"Did you think I would do this without enchanting this blade?" She asked him.

She gave him some kind of drink which restored normal function to his body. He was very irritated that she didn't tell him that the blade was enchanted before she actually cut him, but he decided to let it go. She put the severed tail on a metal table and began to examine it.

"I can't make out what its 'skin' is made of, if 'skin' is even the right word. Even its muscle seems to be of some unknown substance. I struggle to even use the word 'muscle' when I'm looking at it." She said.

Using a smaller knife, she cut down the length of the tail. It didn't bleed or excrete any other substances. She slowly pulled it apart, revealing the bone. It didn't look like bone at all. It looked more like stone than bone. It was dark grey and very porous. She cut one of them out to study it more closely.

"I don't know what this is, but it was connected to your spine. I don't know if your spine, or the rest of your body for that matter, could function properly if its structure was made of an alien substance like this." She said.

After a few more minutes, she looked back at Saito. "Why don't you leave this here with me? I'll study it and find out what I can."

Saito nodded. As he was about to reach the door for her office, his back felt excruciating pain, causing him to collapse onto the ground. It went on like this for a few seconds before suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the tail sprouted back from his back. It looked exactly the same as it had before, as if it had never been cut off.

"What the hell?" Saito said to himself.

"It looks like you're going to have to live with it. At the very least, it seems I will have an endless supply of research material." Braun said.

"Yeah." Saito said.

He walked back to his room. He didn't even bother hiding it anymore. When he stepped in, the sight of Louise looking into the mirror and combing her hair greeted him.

"Good morning, Saito." She said, without turning around.

"Good morning, Louise." He replied. "I have a question for you."

"Go ahead." She said.

"Hypothetically, what would you do if my body…changed?" He asked.

"Changed how?" She replied.

"Nothing major. Maybe a small feature or two." He said.

"Well, as long as you were still you, then I wouldn't care." She replied. "Why would you ask?"

"Well, it's just…just turn around." He said.

She turned and looked at him. At first, nothing seemed off to her. However, as she started to pay attention, she noticed the long, wagging appendage attached to his back.

"What is that?" She asked,

"Apparently, that's a part of me now." He said.

"Does it hurt?" Louise said as she became mesmerized by its back and forth movement.

"Not at all." Saito replied. "I can't control it that well yet though."

"I assume this happened to you because of Gandalfr?" She asked.

Saito nodded. "Yeah. I tried removing it, but it just grew back."

"I think it's cute." Louise said. "No one will care if you have it, I'm sure."

"I think it's probably best to hide it for now." Saito said.

Louise smiled and gave him a kiss, making it wag faster.

"You really are like a dog." She said.

It made Saito irritated, but he enjoyed her kiss, so he forgave her. He sat on his bed and closed his eyes. He began to try and gain better control over it. Slowly, he started to learn how to move it. It felt to him like learning to walk for a second time

He managed to perform simple movements, but was interrupted by a knock on his door. He wrapped it around his waist and put on his coat to hide it. Just as he managed to hide it, Albrecht walked through his door. Immediately, Saito raised his guard.

"Hello, Mr. Hiraga." Albrecht said, with a smile on his face.

"What do you want from me?" Saito said, holding Derf, who for weeks had decided to fall asleep.

"Now, Mr. Hiraga, I've simply come to talk. No need for violence." He replied, sitting on one of the chairs in the room.

"Like I asked before, what do you want from me?" Saito said.

Albrecht looked around the room and then directly at Louise, who was standing behind Saito, prepared to draw her wand. "It would be best if just you and I spoke alone. We are the leaders of our countries, after all." He said.

"Louise is my Queen, therefore she holds just as much power as I do. If you have something to say about diplomacy, she must be present." Saito replied.

"Very well." Albrecht said. "I have come here to discuss the relationship between our two nations. You see, because I have attended your coronation ceremony, the public believes that we are already allies. Of course, we know that isn't the case as of now. That is what I wanted to discuss with you. How would you like to be an ally of Germania? You could use our military and economic support, am I wrong?"

"I refuse." Saito said, stiffly.

"I thought you might say that." Albrecht sighed. "It's a shame. How nice it would have been for you to be on the winning side."

"Winning side?" Louise said.

"I speak metaphorically, of course." Albrecht said. "Well, I suppose I will take my leave. Take care. Until we meet again."

With that, he left the room. Saito sat down on his bed and removed his coat, letting his tail wag freely in the air.

"That sounded suspicious." Louise said as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah. Winning side…that could be dangerous. Should we warn Henrietta?" Saito replied.

"We should. Let's just tell her exactly what he said. If she finds it serious enough, she can talk to our other allies about it. They'll trust her and take her seriously." Louise replied.

"I see. Alright, let's go and tell her." Saito said.

Before leaving, he cut a small hole in the back of his coat so that he could put his tail through it.

"I thought you wanted it hidden." Louise said.

"It's better that people see it now rather than later. Besides, it feels uncomfortable when it's covered up." Saito replied.

He put the coat on and walked out of the room with Louise. They quickly made their way to Henrietta's room. Without knocking, they stormed into the room. They were greeted by the sight of Henrietta in her nightgown, enjoying a passionate embrace with Wales of Albion. Everyone remained motionless and silent for several seconds. After some time, Saito and Louise slowly backed out of the room and closed the door.

They waited outside for several minutes, with their faces flushed red in embarrassment. After a while, the door was opened. Henrietta and Wales, who were just as red as Saito and Louise, invited them into the room.

Saito, in an attempt to forget everything that he had just seen, immediately told Henrietta about his meeting with the Germanian emperor. She listened attentively to every detail. When he was finished, she sat on a chair, thinking silently.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke up. "I will inform our allies of his words. As much as I'd rather not believe this, I will have to have our militaries prepared, just in case. Your country will be given soldiers and equipment from each of your ally's militaries to make up your army. Be prepared for the worst."

Saito nodded. "In spite of this, me and Louise will still have to visit Germania. It will look bad in the public eye if we ignore one of the strongest countries in Halkeginia." He replied.

"Understood. You will be more closely guarded when you are in Germania. No harm will come to you or Louise." Henrietta replied.

Saito bowed low, exposing the shining orange appendage attached to his back.

"Saito, what is that?" Wales said.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's because I'm Louise's familiar. That's all I can really say." Saito replied. "Anyway, we'll let you two get back to…you know."

"Thank you, Saito. I'll leave you be. After all, you now have to start thinking of producing an heir to your throne right?" Wales said, unfazed by Saito's mocking.

This comment defeated Saito. He left the room with Louise, with the sound of Wales's laughter ringing in his ears. When they arrived at their room, Saito sat on his bed, his face red with embarrassment.

"He's right, you know?" Louise said.

"What?!" Saito replied.

Louise laughed at him. "Just a joke!" She said. "We have a lot of years before we have to think about that."

He looked down at the ground. "Yeah…" he said quietly.

"Wait, you actually want kids?" She asked.

"Not now." Saito said. "It's too dangerous. You're right, we have a lot of years before that's even an option. We're not even married yet, after all."

He pouted his face, feeling extremely embarrassed. Louise sat on his lap and gave him a kiss to cheer him up. All the anxiousness that had built up inside of him over the past few months melted away. He slowly kissed her back as they fell onto the mattress. Their lips remained locked together for several minutes. As their passionate embrace escalated, Saito seemed to forget entirely about what he had said earlier, as he covered himself and his bride with a thick blanket and proceeded to make love to her.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Again, sorry for the delay! Life doesn't always agree with me. I received a few PM's and a review asking about different elements of the story. I'll do my best to answer them. Anyway, as always, leave a review if you liked the story. Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 22: Betrayal

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I decided that I'm just going to write a few chapters without a plan, just to see how it turns out. Don't worry, I already have the entire story worked out, all that remains is the execution. I'd also like to thank everyone up to this point for your support. Over 5000 views means a lot to me. I can't thank you enough! Also, the next few chapters may be delayed because I'm working on the outline for another story I'm writing. It won't be a fanfiction, so it's a little harder to do. Also, this chapter contains a lemon, so please skip it if that bothers you. Anyway, enjoy chapter 22!**

 **Chapter 22: Betrayal**

Saito and Louise's lips were locked together. They both felt hot and beads of sweat began to roll down from their foreheads. Without asking for her permission, Saito removed her night gown. Her chest grew and shrank as her breathing became heavier and heavier.

He put his hands on the sides of her belly. Her skin was smooth and wet, making Saito feel aroused. She pulled his top off of him, revealing his toned, muscular body. His adventures over the past 3 years had made his body much more defined.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. He took this opportunity to remove her bra. It fell onto the bed, leaving her chest bare. Her breasts had grown slightly larger, probably due to a late puberty, Saito thought. She was still very much petite, which Saito thought was cute.

He put his hands on them. They breasts themselves were soft, but her nipples had become quite firm. He put his mouth next to her right breast and began to softly kiss it. Slowly, he started to be rougher, going from kissing her breasts to sucking on them.

She started to moan from the feeling. He slowly moved his left hand down to her panties, which had become very wet from Saito's actions. He put his right hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes. He slowly began to rub her down there. She kissed him as he did. As he began to rub her more quickly, she broke away from him as she moaned louder and louder.

As he rubbed her faster and faster, eventually, her body stiffened as she let out a shriek. After a few seconds, her body relaxed and she let herself fall into Saito's arms. She kissed passionately kissed him for several seconds, after which she quickly removed his remaining clothes. They were now both completely naked, which normally, would've made Saito very embarrassed. However, his mind was so intoxicated with the senses he was feeling, that a feeling of embarrassment never came over him.

Before he knew it, Louise was already about to put his throbbing member in her mouth. She gently stroked it as she suck on it like a lollipop. The sounds she was making combined with the feeling of what she was doing drove him to his limit in a short time.

Without warning, he climaxed into her mouth. He remained completely still for several seconds as the feeling of pleasure overcame him. When he came to his senses, he realized what he had just done.

"I'm sorry!" He said, desperately afraid of what she'd do to him.

She was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at him, smiling. "It's okay!" She said.

There was no trace of his semen in her mouth at all. It was extremely hot because of his body's internal heat, but she managed to swallow it. He felt a great sense of relief, compelling him to hug her. After several minutes of kissing, she turned around so that her rear was facing him. She raised towards him, with her face buried in the bedsheets.

"Hurry up…" She said, timidly.

Without saying anything, he put his hands on her hips, which were quite slippery from her sweat. In one quick motion, he thrust himself into her, causing her to moan in pleasure. He slowly began to move back and forth. Before long, he began to move quickly. With every thrust made, Louise's moans grew louder and louder.

After a few minutes, Saito turned her over so that she was facing. Her face was red with embarrassment. She looked away from him, covering her face with her hands. Saito gently moved her face with his hand so that she was looking directly into his eyes.

"I want to see you when we're doing this." He said.

"P-Pervert!" She replied, embarrassed.

Before she could say anything else, he gave her a kiss. It somehow made her know that he wanted to see her face not out of perversion, but out of love. When they slowly pulled apart, she stared into his eyes. She could see how steadfast his love for her was in his gaze. She immediately kissed him again.

He began to move again as their lips were locked together. Before long, they were both approaching their climax. Neither of them wanted to say anything. Saito moved faster and faster until eventually, with one last push into her, they both climaxed at the same time, with their lips still locked together.

Both of their bodies stiffened as they climaxed. For several seconds they were completely still. Soon, they collapsed onto the bed, with their breathing extremely heavy. He pulled himself out of her and laid his head on a pillow.

"You came inside again…" She said.

"Yeah…sorry." He replied.

"Was it on purpose?" She asked.

He was quiet for a few seconds. Her question actually made him think about it. Was it on purpose? After all, he had told himself several times before that he couldn't afford to do it, so why did he?

"I don't know…" He replied.

"What kind of answer is that?" She said, pouting her face.

"The kind of answer given by a confused dog such as myself." He replied, smiling at her.

Somewhat satisfied with his answer, she laid herself on top of him. Before long, she fell fast asleep, with Saito following suit soon after.

 **In Albrecht of Germania's hotel room:**

Albrecht sat on a chair, drinking hot cocoa whilst staring out of the window into the night sky. Soon, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in." He said.

He turned around to see a familiar walking into the room.

"Ah, Kirche. How are you?" He said.

"I am well, my Lord. Why, may I ask, have you called me to meet you?" She replied, as she bowed towards him.

"Ah, yes. How is your life at the Academy?" He said.

"It is good, I suppose. I've made a lot of friends. Why do you ask?" She replied.

"Curiosity. Some of your friends are Ms. Valliére and her familiar, yes?" He said.

"Yes." She replied, somewhat confused. "We were at odds at first, but our relationship has gotten better recently."

"Excellent. Well, I have something I want you to do for me." He said. "As you are aware, Germania has a very powerful military. In fact, the other nations of the world are not entirely aware of our true population."

"What may this have to do with me?" She asked.

"Germania is no longer in need of the trade which our allies provide. At this point, it would be more economically beneficial to acquire their resources for ourselves, would it not?" He said.

"You want to go to war?!" She exclaimed.

"It doesn't have to be such a bloodbath." He replied as he sipped on his cocoa. "You see, the newly appointed King Hiraga is a strange familiar. He has power that, if used properly, can easily turn the tide of a war. Of course, his wife contains perhaps even a greater amount of power, but without someone to protect her, she cannot do much."

"You want me to kill him?" She said.

"Heavens, no!" He replied. He grabbed a bottle of wine from underneath his bed. "I simply require you to give him this bottle of wine."

"I'm not an assassin." She said.

"Of course not." He replied. "I already tried an assassin, but they are unreliable. You are the daughter of a powerful Germania general. We Germanians pride ourselves in looking after each other and our country. I trust that you will trust the word of your King, and understand that this is for the good of your nation."

He put the bottle of wine in her hands. She looked at it for several seconds. Of course, she didn't want to kill Saito or Louise, but she had been raised with the belief that the honor of completing a direct order from her king was more important than any relationship she had.

"Once he is disposed of, Germania will swiftly conquer Tristain, followed by Gallia and, finally, Romania. Go and complete your mission. You are dismissed." He said, as he sat down and started to sip his drink again.

Kirche left his room, feeling confused and slightly sick. However, by the time she had reached her own hotel room, she had made her decision.

 **In Saito and Louise's room:**

Saito awoke on the bed in his room, completely undressed and with Louise laying on top of him. His face turned red as he remembered the night before. It was early morning, the sky outside had just begun to turn bright blue, and there was a light mist in the air. He slowly got out of bed, making sure not to wake Louise.

He stared out of the window, thinking about the future. It was today that he and Louise would have to begin their journey to visit their allied countries. This made Saito very worried. He had already received what he took as a threat from Germania, so he was extremely worried about possible assassinations. He realized as well that the possibility of assassination attempts was higher because not only was he of a race unknown to Halkeginia, but on the outside, he didn't appear to be entirely human.

As he pondered this, he felt soft hands grab his tail, pulling him back to his bed. The lack of Saito being in bed had woken her up. He didn't say anything to her. The thoughts about the possible danger she was in had weighed him down. He held her close to him, dreading the next few weeks.

"It's okay." She said, hugging him tightly. "I'll be fine. You'll be there to protect me."

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, feeling reassured. He got back into bed with her, stroking her hair and looking into her glistening pink eyes.

"Sorry I've been so gloomy." He said. "It's just been so stressful lately. My body is different, my status is different, my whole life is changing. And of course, I need to look after you as well."

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into my world." She said, suddenly feeling guilty.

"I came back here on my own more than once. Even if I'm dealing with all of this stuff, I'm happy that I'm with you." He replied.

He kissed her forehead, making her feel better about herself. Her thoughts then turned to the lingering problem that was Germania. It was in her best interest to look at any and all Germanians who came close to herself and Saito to be enemies.

"How are we going to handle our journey to Germania?" She asked.

"We'll have to be extremely careful. With my eyes, I should be able to see any threats that could come our way. But still, I don't have eyes on the back of my head, so it's probably best to have more guards with us." He replied.

"How long do we have to live like this? In fear..?" Louise said.

"I don't know." He replied. "Once everything is settled and there is no more danger in the world, maybe we can settle down. We'll have no reason to be afraid and I'll feel at ease that you are safe. When that happens, we should start a family, and truly be happy."

Louise's eyes widened as he spoke the last few words of his sentence. His voice didn't falter as he spoke. He seemed like he meant every word from the bottom of his heart. She gave him a hug, thinking about his bold words.

"That kind of paradise is a long way away." Said Wales of Albion, who had been listening to their conversation for a few minutes. "It is time for us to leave. You'll be visiting Gallia first, then Albion, and finally Germania. Romalia has also shown interest in forming good diplomatic relations with you. Alex and Shion will be visiting Germania first, then Albion, and then Gallia."

"Alright." Saito said. He turned to Louise, holding her hand. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." She replied.

They followed Wales outside the palace, where he had arranged a dragon drawn carriage to take them to Gallia. It would be a two day trip, so they would stop overnight to rest before continuing to Gallia.

Before they started they're journey, they heard someone calling their names. Saito stopped the carriage and looked around. He saw Kirche running towards the carriage, holding something in her arms. By the time she caught up, she was panting heavily.

"Hi Kirche. Do you need something?" Louise asked.

"I wanted to give you a gift to celebrate your coronation." She said, when she finally caught her breath.

She handed them the bottle of wine that Albrecht gave to her yesterday. Saito took it from her in good spirits. He handed it to Louise, then turned back to Kirche.

"Thanks a lot, Kirche. We'll enjoy it." He said, smiling at her.

"You're welcome, Saito." She said. "Before I go, may I ask, why are you wearing a fake tail?"

"Oh, it's not fake." He said as he moved it around behind him.

"How…Never mind." Kirche said. "I'll visit you when your trip is over. Safe travels!"

Saito and Louise waved her goodbye as the carriage move briskly towards the city gates. Kirche waved back until they were out of sight. When she could no longer see them, she fell to her knees and began to weep. Over and over, she apologized to them under her breath. After a little while, she went back to her hotel room, where she would remain for several hours, grieving.

Saito and Louise were enjoying their day so far. The weather was clear, although it was becoming quite cool due to the season changing into autumn. The only thing that bothered them, or rather bothered Saito in particular, was the large amount of guards that followed them, hidden in the forest. They were there to protect them, but it made him uncomfortable.

After several hours, they decided it would be best to stop. The sun was setting in the sky, so they stopped by the side of the road, deciding to camp there for the night. Within a few minutes, Saito pitched their tent. He then went to gather firewood, which took him at most ten seconds.

"That was fast." Louise said, shocked at his astonishing speed.

"It's been a while since I stretched my legs." He said, laughing

He soon became aware that he had no normal way of starting the fire. He though for a moment, then looked at his tail. He found a bunch of dry grass, then simply laid his tail onto it. Soon enough, it began to smolder and within a short amount of time, burst into flames.

"That's dangerous." Louise said, in awe.

"Don't worry. I can control it, so it's fine." He replied.

After making sure the fire would remain lit, he stood up again. He was about to go and find food, but one of the guards that were hidden around them walked towards him, holding an armful of fish.

"Here you go, sir. I took the liberty of finding food for you and Her Majesty by myself. I couldn't have you leaving her alone again, after all." He said.

"Thank you. What's your name?" Saito asked.

"James." He replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Saito said.

James bowed and then disappeared into the forest. Saito skewered the fish and let it cook. After a few minutes, he gave one to Louise and sat down next to her.

"I know it's not as fancy as what you're used to." He said, laughing.

"It's fine. Food is food, after all." She said.

"I never thought I'd here you say that." Saito replied, surprised.

"Perhaps you've had an effect on me." She said, blushing. "Shall we drink some of the wine Kirche gave us."

"Sure." Saito said.

He got up and went to the carriage they were riding in. There were some simple wooden cups in the carriage that they could use for drinking. He returned to Louise with the cups and bottle of wine. He poured each of them a cup.

"To our marriage." Saito said, proposing a toast.

Louise raised her cups to his. Saito was about to take a sip from the cup, but stopped short. Louise noticed this and stopped as well.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He sniffed the wine and looked at it suspiciously. He got her cup and walked over to a flower. He poured the wine onto it and watched. Within a few seconds, the flower shriveled away and disappeared. There was nothing left of it at all. Everywhere that the wine had touched looked dead, almost burnt.

"The wine is poisoned." Saito said.

"What?" Louise said.

"If we had taken even a bit of it, we would've died." Saito replied.

He had become infuriated. The wooden cups in his hands shattered into splinters under the pressure he was exerting onto them. His tail thrashed around behind him, causing quite large amount of turbulence in the air. His eyes glowed bright orange in the dark, fueled by anger.

Louise ran up to him and hugged him from behind. Slowly, he began to calm down until eventually, he sat down on the ground. She rubbed his back slowly in a circular motion, calming him down further.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm better now." He said.

He turned towards her, making her gasp. His eyes shone a bright orange, matching the flame of their campfire and contrasting with the darkness around them. She held his face between her hands. After a few seconds, his eyes slowly began to dim, before they eventually only glowed as much as they normally did.

"I'm sorry, Louise." Saito said. "I said I'd protect you."

"You did." She said. "I'm alive aren't I?"

"Yeah. I guess you're right." He replied. "This was probably a plot by Albrecht. He most likely doesn't know that my body changed because of being your familiar."

"Should we continue to Gallia?" Louise asked.

Saito was silent for a few moments. "Word should be sent to Gallia that we will arrive late."

"Why don't we just tell them what happened?" She asked.

"If Albrecht was planning our assassination, then he is either going to wait and see if we died, or he is going to attack some time after our supposed death." He replied. "I think we should postpone our arrival for about a week. We can send the Queen a message telling her why we'll be late, and telling her not to tell anyone about it."

"Where will we go in the meantime?" Louise said.

"We could stay out here, I suppose. Where would you like to go?" He asked her.

"I don't know. I'm cold, so anywhere warm will be fine." She replied.

He wrapped his tail around her. "Feel any warmer?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah." She replied, blushing.

"It'll be warmer if we stay in the tent." He said.

He picked her up and walked into their tent. He laid her down on a rolled up mattress he had brought with them. He laid down next to her and covered both of them with a blanket, trapping the immense heat that his body produced.

"We can find an inn tomorrow to stay at until a week passes." He said.

Louise nodded and moved closer to him. The heat he radiated made her feel quite tired. Soon enough, she fell asleep. Saito remained awake, thinking about his circumstances.

"Hey, Gandalfr." He thought to himself. "I know you can hear me. Speak up."

After a few seconds, he heard Gandalfr's voice in his head. "What is it, boy?"

"Tell me about yourself." Saito said.

"What do you want to know?" He replied.

"Are there other beings like yourself, and where are they?" Saito asked.

"I told you that when I was 'born', I simply woke up alone. There was no one around me." He began. "The truth is, however, that later in my life, it would come to my knowledge that there were at least 3 other beings like myself."

"The Right Hand of God, The Mind of God, and The Heart of God." Saito said.

"Yes. I knew them by the names of Vindalfr, Miodaitnir, and Lifbrasir." He replied. "I met them separately in different parts of the world, long before humans in your world had developed the technologies you have now. That was thousands and thousands of years ago."

"I see." Saito said. "So how did you end up being sealed?"

Gandalfr scoffed at the question. Saito could hear the distaste in his voice when he finally replied. "An evil man used magic to capture us. Brimir, the blonde devil. He used a void magic that to this day I haven't seen used. Of course, I'm not surprised. He was the first one, after all."

"Evil?" Saito asked. He didn't quite understand what he meant.

"Did you never listen to that sword's ramblings? Or did he never go into detail?" Gandalfr said. "Why do you think the first Gandalfr familiar had to kill him? He nearly brought an end to the Elven race."

"Brought an end? You mean he wanted them extinct?! Why?!" Saito replied, in shock.

"He was a selfish and prideful man. He couldn't stand the fact the Elves, as well as some of the other races that he made vanish, were so superior to humans. He thought that because of their superiority, they would one day drive humanity to extinction." Gandalfr explained. "So, he began to plan his moves. He was inherently capable of using void magic. There were, of course, others in the world who were capable of this, but he was the only one skilled enough to put it to use. And so, for several years, he made preparations. He trained himself so that he was capable of using large amounts of all types of magic, something even modern void mages cannot do, until he was finally capable of sealing a massive being such as myself."

"I see." Saito said.

"However," Gandalfr continued. "He soon realized that without a strong vessel to seal me in, it was pointless. So, rather ironically, he made himself acquainted with an Elven girl, Sasha. Her body was stronger than a human's, but even so, it would be too weak to contain me. So instead, he used his magic to open a door to another world. He decided he would seal me there. One night, he ventured to the mountains where I liked to rest. In my sleep, he began to cast a powerful explosion spell. When it hit me, I was not hurt, but it was strong enough to put me into a daze. He took this opportunity to open a door and use the last of his power to cast an explosion strong enough to push me into it. Over the next few months, he found my siblings and did the same to them. However, because he couldn't find another vessel to hold them, he made it so that only a void mage could cast the spell which would allow their familiar to use this power. He never expected that the other void mage of the world would eventually learn to use magic."

Saito's face contorted into one of pity. "So that's why you're stuck in there…"

Gandalfr chose not to address Saito's comment. "Over time," He said. "He and Sasha grew close enough so that she would eventually kiss him. What she did not know was that this kiss would engrave the Gandalfr rune into her hand, making her capable of accessing my power. He then lied to her, saying that he would need her power to stabilize the world, bringing ever lasting peace. Blinded by her love for him, she followed him. He would spend the next several years using her to gain power in his country, until eventually, he stood as its King."

"Did you ever speak to Sasha?" Saito asked.

"Only later in life. For the first several years, I hated all 'lower life forms'. I vowed that I would escape and kill them all." Gandalfr replied.

"I can't say I blame you…" Saito said.

"Anyway," Gandalfr continued, not wanting to address Saito's sympathy. "it took several years, but one by one, the nations that surrounded Brimir fell under his command until the only others left in Halkeginia were those of the Elves, Fairies, Dwarves, and Anioły."

"Anioły?" Saito said.

"Tall, human-like, winged beings. They were tall and seemed to emit a light from their bodies. They were all quite beautiful." Gandalfr explained.

"We have something like that in my world!" Saito said.

"Oh?" Gandalfr said, intrigued.

"Yeah. For thousands of years, people in my world have claimed to see winged humans appearing to them from the sky. They believe God sent them. We also have stories of fairies. Dwarves and Elves tend to be written about too, but no one ever claims to have ever seen one. I personally don't believe that stuff. There are so many religions in my world, that I don't bother thinking about them." Saito explained.

"How fascinating." Gandalfr said. "Perhaps some of them survived."

"What?" Saito asked.

"Brimir hated the other races because in one way or another, they were better than humans." He began to explain. "Using Sasha's power, the power of his armies, and his own void magic, he began his extermination of what he called 'lesser races'. He started with the Fairies, who occupied what is now Albion. They were a peaceful people, so they had no chance against his massive onslaught. He ordered his armies to kill every single one of them. Men, women, children, sick and old. All were murdered. Their bodies were burned and all evidence of their existence destroyed. He quickly did the same to the dwarves, who although militarily competent, were not prepared for a war with the humans. They used to occupy what is now Tristain. The Anioły, who lived in what is now part of northwest Germania, perhaps put up the best fight. They were far more intelligent than humans, as well as physically superior. But because of their long life spans, they never reproduced very much. Perhaps if they had more numbers, they would've been able to stop him. The elves faced the same problem as the Anioły, however, their extermination was prevented."

"By Sasha, right?" Saito said.

Gandalfr nodded. "Previously, Sasha had begged Brimir to stop all of this. Brimir had promised her that her Elven kin would not be hurt, and she blindly believed him. However, she still refused to be a part of what at the time he called 'bringing peace to the world'. At the time, she had no idea that he was murdering millions because she always chose to stay in the human capital. However, one day, as she walked through the countryside, she saw smoke in the direction of the Dwarfish Kingdoms. She chose to see just what 'bringing peace to the world' actually meant. For several hours, she ran towards the mountains until finally, she came across a Dwarfish town."

Saito gulped, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"When she arrived, the smell in the air made her sick." He continued. "She looked around to see the bodies of Dwarfish men, women, and children stacked into burning piled. She heard and saw human soldiers killing Dwarfish men in cold blood. The women and children shared a worse fate. The savage humans toyed with them, raping them and beating them before subjecting them to vile deaths."

The thought of such a sight started to bring tears to Saito's eyes. Humans in his own world had done things just as evil, but the reality of the horrors that were experienced in his world's past suddenly dawned on him.

"Sasha was horrified." Gandalfr continued. "She ran back to the capital in a hurry and took time to think. She knew that if this was happening to the Dwarves, it was probably also happening to the Fairies, Anioły, and even the Elves. So, she made up her mind. She would wait quietly in the palace for Brimir, who had gone out with one of his armies to inspect the progress he was making. When he came back, she would strike him down with the sword that had been so reliable for her."

"So that's how he died?" Saito said.

"Yes." Gandalfr replied. "Brimir came back to the capital approximately one month later. As he undressed in his bedroom in the Royal Palace, Sasha stabbed him through his back. As he fell onto the ground and began to lose consciousness, she turned him over to make sure she saw the face of the one who killed him. It was at this moment that his true nature revealed itself, as the only words he could say to her before his death were 'vile thing'."

"I see." Saito said. "That's awful. No wonder the Elves don't trust humans."

"Yes, as Sasha left the room where Brimir's lifeless body lay, she was spotted by Palace guards. She fled the human country and went to the home of her own kin. Soon, word spread that Brimir was dead. His armies became flustered and disorganized, which gave the Elves a chance to regroup. Led by Sasha, they drove the humans out of their land. As a result of the war, the Elves became extremely wary of other races, so using their powerful magic and science, they concealed their land. Making it impossible for anyone to find it who was not there before."

"I see. So that's why there is no Elven land on a map." Saito said. "But what about the Tristan, Albion, and Gallia? Weren't they founded by his sons?"

" Indeed they were." Gandalfr replied. "You see, before the war began, Brimir had made Sasha pregnant. However, unlike the human gestation period of about 9 months, Elves gestate for 1 and a half years, which is why she had no knowledge of her pregnancy until months after the war. When her children, the triplets Oliviére, Vittorio, and Bartholomew, were finally born, she raised them in the Elven Kingdom. During their time growing into adulthood, the humans were in a constant state of war due to Brimir never choosing an heir. 25 years after their birth, their mother sent them to the human realm with the mission of 'bringing peace to their world'. It would not take long, as due to being half Elf, they were smarter and physically stronger than their competitors. Together, they conquered the human world, reclaiming the territories once held by the Fairies, Anioły, and Dwarves. When the wars finally ended years later, the nations of Gallia, Albion, and Tristain emerged. Bartholomew became the first King of Albion, Vittorio became the first King of Gallia, and Oliviére became the first King of Tristain."

"I see." Saito said. "I never imagined the Halkeginia's history was so terrible."

"I'm surprised it shocks you, considering your own world's troubles." Gandalfr replied

"Hey Gandalfr, I'm going to find a way to release you and your siblings. It's the least I can do to atone for the sins of Brimir." Saito said.

"If you can make your void mage strong enough, then perhaps it is possible. However, as it is now, she is not even comparable to a quarter of the strength that Brimir possessed. It will be a long road ahead of you." Gandalfr said.

"I made a promise. I plan to keep it." Saito said.

"I see. You've grown into quite a man, Hiraga Saito." Gandalfr said. With his conversation over, he fell back into his slumber, thinking about Saito's promise.

Saito walked out of his tent and looked up into the night sky. Stars shone brightly, lighting up the sky like billions of little lanterns were twinkling high above him. He couldn't help but think of each one of them as one of the countless souls that Brimir had sent to the afterlife. With his eyes glowing with determination, he went back to bed, ready to keep his promise to Gandalfr.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! First of all, I know it's a bit late, but Happy Thanksgiving…to the Americans out there, obviously. I know this chapter was REALLY late, but as I explained in the beginning Author's Notes, I'm working on the outline for an original story, which is much harder than writing a fanfiction since I have to come up with everything from scratch. I don't know how you guys will like this chapter, but I still enjoyed writing it. Anyway, please remember to leave a review and follow the story! See you next time!**


	23. Chapter 23: The Mysterious Village

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I decided to get this chapter out earlier than normal. I hope you guys enjoy it! Also I'd like to thank everyone who left a review or sent me a private message. It really motivates me to keep me going. Thanks a lot, guys! Anyway, enjoy chapter 23!**

 **Chapter 23: The Mysterious Village**

Saito and Louise made their way to a very small village in Tristain. They would remain there for between a week and a month, depending on Germania's actions. Because of the small size of the village, news of their arrival wouldn't spread.

They left their campsite at sunrise, but due to only being able to travel by foot, it took them until sundown to reach the village, with Saito choosing to carry Louise the entire way. When they arrived at the town, people immediately took notice of them because of their crowns, extravagant clothing, and strange features. Especially Saito's tail and Louise's pink hair and eyes.

As they walked towards the village centre, an old man who held a long, wooden pole greeted them outside. He didn't dress in extravagant clothing, nor did he seem to be of noble lineage, but he was clearly the leader of the village.

"Hello, young ones!" He said to them. "Welcome to our humble village. I am Obi, the village elder."

"Hello, Obi." Saito said. "My name is Hiraga Saito."

"My name is Louise de la Valliére." Louise said. "I am his fiancé."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." They both said at once, bowing.

"The pleasure is mine. It's always nice to see young people in love." Obi said with a smile. "I do have many questions for you, but it seems like you have travelled for quite a while on foot. Please, allow me to invite you to my home to rest."

"Thank you very much." They said.

They followed him to a rather large house made of logs cut from a white tree. When they walked through the door, they were quite surprised. It was very well furnished with furniture Obi had made by himself. It was cozy and reminded Saito of visiting his grandfather when he was young. Sitting in the living room was an old woman. She was knitting and was surrounded by 3 young boys and 5 cats.

"Ah, Obi." She said. "Welcome home. I just finished knit-"

She stopped short when she noticed that he had brought two young people with him who both looked rather important. She immediately stood up and dusted herself off. She bowed low towards them before standing up to speak.

"Pardon my rudeness. I had no idea Obi would be bringing guests." She said with a smile.

"That's okay." Saito said. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Hiraga Saito and this is my fiancé, Louise de la Valliére."

"I am Obi's wife, Azealia. It's nice to meet you." She said. "These are my three grandchildren, Sasha, Dimitri, and Nicholas."

The kids paid no attention to their introduction, as they were preoccupied with playing with the cats.

"Please, sit down while I make some tea, then we can start to discuss things." Obi said.

Saito and Louise sat down. Within a few seconds, the kids and cats swarmed them. The kids bombarded them with a variety of questions at once, while the cats took a particular liking to Louise.

"Are you a human?" Dimitri asked Saito.

"Is your hair real?" Sasha asked Louise.

"Are you two married?" Nicholas asked them both.

"Now children, wait a little while before asking them so much. They've had a long day." Azealia said.

They all pouted, but listened to her, playing with the cats. They couldn't help staring at Saito and Louise. When Saito spoke, they could clearly see the fangs that replaced his canines when he absorbed Gandalfr. They noticed his strange eyes, which glowed a vivid orange and were unusual in their detail, with black, perfectly circular rings surrounding his irises. And, of course, they also noticed his glowing orange tail, which wagged freely behind him.

In Louise, they saw her perfect skin, her vividly pink hair and eyes, and the bright aura they felt when they were around her. After a few minutes, Obi came back with tea for them.

"Children, the adults have to discuss some business." Obi said. "Please go and play upstairs for now."

The children ran up the stairs to play. When they were upstairs, they all looked at each other. They were each separated by 2 years, with Dimitri, the oldest, being 9 years old. Sasha was 7 years old, followed by Nicholas, who was 5. There was no hierarchy in their relationship. Before long, and without saying anything, they all decided to spy on the adults. They snuck onto the stairs, where they could hear their conversation.

"So," Obi said. "Where shall we start? I suppose I should ask first about where you're from. You seem to be some form of nobility."

"The truth is, we are the King and Queen of a new country. We were given the land for…heroic deeds. We were crowned only a short time ago" Louise said.

The kids hiding on the staircase nearly fell over from the news. It made them excited to see their first royals and have them stay in their house.

"Ah! A king and queen?" Azealia said. "That explains the crowns! How fascinating! But, what are you doing here then?"

"I'm afraid we need to stop in this town for quite a while for…political reasons." Saito said.

"I see. Political conflict." Obi said. "Well, that's good to know. I now have a question for you, Saito. Are you human?"

The question took him by surprise. "Yes, I am human." Saito said. "I know it's hard to believe with my tail, teeth, and eyes, but I assure you that I am human."

"I see." Obi said. "Have you always looked like this?"

"No." Saito said. "I'm actually a type of familiar. I look like this because I made two contracts with the same person, Louise."

He removed his gloves and jacket so that he was only wearing his short sleeved shirt, revealing his arm. It was still slightly scarred, but had healed quite nicely in the past several months.

"These runes were put onto my arm when I made my second contract with her. At first, they were constantly glowing and my arm was extremely injured. But now, they only glow when I use magic." He explained.

"But they're glowing right now." Obi said. "You're using magic?"

"Let me explain." Saito said. "My body changed because when I made my second contract, my body absorbed a being called Gandalfr. Slowly, my body started to change. One of the changes happened to be an increase in my body's temperature. To stop myself from hurting people, I constantly coat myself in a magic barrier."

"What happens if you remove it?" Obi asked.

"Well…I suppose I could show you." Saito said.

He went to their kitchen and filled a large bucket with water. He stuck his hand into the bucket, and nothing happened.

"As you can see," Saito said. "Because I'm keeping magic on my body, the water is fine. But now, I'll remove it from my hand."

As he said this, the water immediately began to boil. Within a few seconds, the bucket was empty, as all the water had evaporated.

"It seems my body got hotter over time. Until I can figure out a way to control it, then I'll have to keep using magic to keep others safe." He said.

"I see." Azealia said. "So that's why your body changed. And what kind of mage may you be, Miss Louise."

"I am a void mage." Louise said as she sipped her tea.

"Void mage? I thought void magic didn't exist?" Obi said.

"It does. There are 3 other void mage like myself in the world. Each has a familiar like Saito. He is the Left Hand of God. The others are the Right Hand of God, the Mind of God, and the Heart of God. Saito's purpose as my familiar is to defend me while I cast spells." Louise explained.

"This is a lot to take in." Obi said. "Do you know where the other mages are?"

"I know of the location of two, but I think it's best to keep that secret." Saito said.

"I see. So Saito, where are you from. Even without your inhuman abnormalities, you look like you belong to a race I have never seen before." Obi said.

"I was summoned here from another world. The name for my race is Japanese. I've seen a few others like me here. Once I've settled as King, I want to try and help one of my friends figure out who she is. She's Japanese, like myself, but she has no memories of her parents or how she got here." Saito said.

"Interesting." Azealia said. "I have so many more questions, but I'm sure you are too tired to answer them now. Allow me to escort you to our guest room."

Saito and Louise bowed and followed her upstairs. The children had already scurried to their room, making sure they weren't seen. The guest room was large and cozy. A large bed sat at its far end, with two nightstands on either side of it. Several sofas and a desk were placed against the walls, and paintings of strange creatures hung from nails in the wall.

"Make yourselves at home! Try not to be so loud in your love making!" Azealia said, as she left to go back downstairs.

"What a nice couple." Louise said, blushing brightly.

"Y-Yeah." Saito replied. "I'm going to take a bath."

"I'll come with you." Louise said, smiling.

They both undressed and stepped into the bath, taking turns washing each other. As Saito washed Louise, he took notice of how her body was beginning to develop. Her body was already extremely beautiful before, but her curves seemed to be more defined. Her breasts, while still small, seemed more round than before. She had also grown slightly taller.

"You look beautiful." He said, subconsciously.

"I-Idiot. Don't say that when we're bathing together." She replied.

"Sorry." He said. "I was just thinking that you've grown more beautiful since I met you. Maybe it's all in my head."

"You've definitely become more of a man since I met you." She replied.

"I wanted to make myself worthy of being your husband, so I tried to be as mature as possible." Saito said.

He gave her a soft kiss. They remained like that for a long time, only ever pulling part for air.

"Hey, Louise." Saito finally said. "When do you want to have our wedding? Winter is coming soon. Is it okay to have it then, or should we wait until spring?"

"Winter is fine. But I guess it depends on whether or not Germania declares war." Louise said.

"Yeah. We'll know soon enough." He said, gloomily. "So, until then, we should enjoy each other's company." Saito said, kissing her neck.

"W-We can't do that here!" Louise said, although she seemed to be enjoying herself. "This isn't our house. There's an old couple and children here."

"Do you really care?" Saito said, stroking her hair.

She didn't say anything. She was silent for several moments, then suddenly kissed him. They passionately kissed for several minutes. Just when they had just decided to have sex with each other, they heard a knock on the door.

"Mr. Saito, Ms. Valliére, we brought towels for you." Said Nicholas, who had been sent by Obi.

"Th-Thank you!" Louise said.

She jumped out of the bath and grabbed the towels from behind the door. She handed Saito a towel and started to dry herself off.

"Well, that ruined the moment." Saito said. "Let's go to bed."

He picked her up and laid her down in bed, making sure to be as gentle as possible. He laid down next to her, letting his tail rest over her. With her beautiful face staring back at him, he quickly fell asleep. It was the first time in months that his sleep was completely peaceful. He dreamed of his home on the coast of Côte de Nice, and the possibility of having children in the future. However, in his dream, he also saw something vexing.

He saw in the distance a very bright light. In this light, he saw the silhouettes of three people. They did not move and they said nothing. He ran towards the light, but just as he was about to reach it, he woke up.

It was early morning and Louise was still asleep. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. He looked into the mirror, thinking about the silhouettes he saw. Unable to make anything of it, he went downstairs and went to a balcony, which overlooked a valley the house was built over.

It was a chilly morning and a heavy mist coated the valley. Behind him, the three children had snuck downstairs and wanted to surprise Saito. When they were in range, they all jumped at him. Before they could reach him, however, he grabbed them all with his tail without averting his gaze from the valley.

"Why are you guys awake so early?" He asked, holding them in mid air.

"How did you know we were here?!" Dimitri asked.

"I'm not your average human. I could hear you and smell you before you even woke up." Saito said, finally letting them down.

"No way!" Dimitri said. He seemed to be the most logical of the three. "You were probably just spying on us somehow."

Saito turned around and looked down at them. "Tell me, what is your favorite meat you like for dinner?"

"Ph-Pheasant." They all said at once.

"I see." He replied.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When they opened, they glowed more brightly than before. He looked into the valley for a few seconds. Soon, it seemed to the kids as if he had disappeared into thin air. Within a few seconds, he reappeared, holding a freshly caught pheasant.

"Here you go." He said, handing the bird to Dimitri.

His eyes went back to their normal glow as he turned around and looked over the valley again. He took in the fresh, cold, crisp air. It had been a while since he had been in the mountains, so it was refreshing.

"You can teleport?" Sasha asked.

"No, I'm just fast." Saito said, watching a group of dragons flying in the distance.

The children remained watching him silently, which made him rather uncomfortable. After a few minutes, Louise came to the balcony. The little boys blushed as they saw her in her nightgown. It wasn't see through, but it made her seem to glow.

"Good morning, Louise." Saito said. "I was just showing off to these little guys."

"Oh. Did you sleep well?" She asked him.

"I had a bit of a weird dream. I'll tell you about it later. Other than that, I slept pretty well." He said. "How about you?"

She blushed brightly when he asked her. "I-I had a weird dream too."

"I see." Saito said. His mind was occupied with his dream, so he didn't quite realize what she meant.

"Excuse me," Nicholas said. "Are you two married?"

"Not yet." Louise said. "He already proposed to me and I accepted, but we haven't had our wedding yet."

"Why not?" Dimitri asked.

"When you become an adult, you might have to postpone the things you want to do because of a bunch of reasons. Saito and I have responsibilities, so because of the way the world is now, it may be months before there is enough peace for us to be married." Louise explained.

"That sucks." Nicholas said. "Dimitri, Sasha, let's go. Grandmother and Grandfather won't want us bothering them."

They all ran back into the house, leaving Saito and Louise on the balcony. She noticed how lost in thought Saito was. He gazed into the valley, clearly contemplating something that troubled him. She waited several minutes, hoping he would elaborate on what he was thinking, but he said nothing. She decided that it would probably be best to just ask him instead.

"Saito," She began. "What is troubling you?"

"Nothing, I just saw something in a dream last night." He replied.

"What did you see?" She asked.

"Well, it was a happy dream. Everything was nice at first, but then I saw three people. I couldn't make out their faces. I ran towards them to get a closer look, but when I was just about to see their faces, I woke up." He explained.

"I see. Do you have any idea why you had a dream like that?" She asked him.

"I have a vague idea." Saito replied. "It could have something to do with something Gandalfr told me."

"What did he tell you?" She said.

He remained silent for a few seconds, thinking about whether now was the best time to tell her the entire story. The people of Halkeginia idealized Brimir, so suddenly telling someone that he was a genocidal ruler who sought, and carried out, the extinction of more than one race could be a very big blow.

"Tell me, Louise." Saito said. "What are the names of the first kings of Tristain, Albion, and Gallia?"

"Bartholomew of Albion, Vittorio of Gallia, and Oliviére of Tristain. Why? Do you think it was them that you saw?" She asked.

He nodded. "I think so. I'd have no other reason to see three people in a dream. It has to be them." He said.

"But why?" Louise asked. "They are already deceased, so how could they possibly appear to you in your dreams?"

"I don't know the answers, Louise. I'll have to confirm this later on. If it is them, I have a question I need to ask them." He replied.

"Question? What kind?" Louise said.

"It regards the Elves and their feud with humans." Saito replied. "If it really was the first kings of Tristain, Albion, and Gallia, then they'll have the answer I'm looking for."

He looked thoughtfully into the valley, then suddenly turned around with a smile on his face. He stretched his back and took a big breath of air.

"This place is so nice! Let's have breakfast then see the rest of the village!" He said.

"S-Sure…" She replied, confused by his sudden change of mood.

By this time, Obi and Azealia had woken up and were already preparing breakfast for everyone. Saito and Louise insisted on helping, but the old couple refused, claiming that "royalty should not soil their hands with such things."

They all enjoyed a wholesome breakfast, rich with grain, nuts, bacon, eggs, tea, and honey. Everyone was amazed at Saito's voracious appetite. He ate more than they all could combined, and yet still felt hungry afterwards. When they finished the unusually large breakfast, they decided to take a tour around the village.

The roads were paved with smooth stones and all of the buildings were made of logs. While they walked around, Saito began to feel uncomfortable as people began to stare at him. Although he always let his tail trail freely behind him, he wrapped around his waist, so people may be fooled into thinking it was a belt of some kind.

"Don't mind them." Obi said. "You have strange eyes and a tail, while your wife has pink eyes and hair. You simply intrigue them. They'll get used to you eventually."

Saito did his best to relax, but he never did well with being focused on, so it was very hard for him. They toured around the village for several hours. Because it would soon be becoming winter, they day was shorter than normal, so it turned dark very soon. As they walked home, Saito noticed a statue in the centre of the village.

"Ah, how could I forget?" Obi said. "That is the statue of this village's finest hero. She would come here every decade, giving us gifts that helped us survive the harsh winter."

"How nice!" Louise said. "Will we get to see her?"

"I do not know." Azealia said, downcast. "She usually comes on the day of the summer solstice, but she did not come this year. Without the enormous amount of food and supplies she brings us, I do not know what we can do to survive the winters of this decade. We do not have the numbers or the means to get food or build shelter. Everything you see around you is because of her."

Saito seemed to be mesmerized by the statue. "It's an Elf…" He finally said, taking note of its ears.

"Yes, our hero is an elf." Obi said. "We are told that when she first showed herself to this village several years ago, our leaders did not trust her. However, decade after decade she came harboring gifts. Eventually, we welcomed her with open arms, as we finally began to trust her."

"What was her name?" Saito said.

"She never spoke her name, for she feared it would bring harm to both herself and us. She was very strict about this rule." Obi said.

"I see." Saito said. "Thanks for telling us. We should probably go home now, it's getting late."

"Of course!" Azealia replied.

They all went home, where they enjoyed a large supper with the pheasant which Saito had caught earlier. Soon after eating, the children fell asleep. Once everything was cleaned up, Obi sat down with Saito.

"So tell me, what is Japan like?" He asked.

"Japan? Well, it's very mountainous and beautiful, but that's in the countryside. I live near the capital, Tokyo. It's a really big city. All of the buildings are several stories high and made of metal, glass, and stone." Saito replied.

"That sounds spectacular. You must take me to visit some day!" Obi said.

"Sure thing! I'll take all of you to visit. It'll be an adventure." Saito replied.

"Thank you very much." Obi said. "Now, I must be going to bed. Have a very good night Mr. Hiraga. You as well, Ms. Valliére."

"Thank you!" Louise and Saito both said.

Obi and Azealia went upstairs, taking the kids with them and leaving Louise and Saito alone. Louise looked at Saito, noticing that he had the same look as he did when she saw him that morning.

"Why would an elf want to bring gifts to a small village like this? And why every ten years?" Saito finally said out loud.

"Perhaps she is just a nice person." Louise said. She kissed his forehead. "I'm going to bed, Saito. Join me soon, okay?"

"Sure thing." He said.

He gave her a kiss and let her go to bed. Saito, however, did not intend to go to bed yet. He stayed downstairs, pacing around the room in thought. Soon, he became restless. He grabbed a fur coat that Obi had lent him, and ventured out into the cold. He made his way to the centre of the town, where the large copper statue overlooked the village.

He stared at it for several minutes. He circled the statue for a long time, taking in every detail. Using the light from his glowing tail he examined each and every inch of the statue until finally, he saw the statue's right hand.

Engraved in it were the runes only befitting of the person who had become, for their master's sake, a shield for them to stand behind, just as Saito had done for Louise. It was unmistakable. The runes of Gandalfr were carved into its right hand.

Saito stumbled back in shock as the suspicions he harbored since seeing the statue for the first time were proven correct. Although seemingly impossible, he could not deny the evidence that was presented before him.

The statue, to Saito's shock and amazement, was of non-other than the first Gandalfr, Sasha.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First of all, sorry. I intended for this chapter to be released yesterday, but unfortunate circumstances didn't permit that, so I'm releasing it now. If everything goes according to plan, there will be another chapter before 11:00 pm, EST. I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review and follow the story. Thanks guys and, as always, I'll catch you next time!**


	24. Chapter 24: The Village's Decision

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I intended for this chapter to be released earlier in the day, but this'll have to do. I'm not entirely sure what this chapter will be yet, so bear with me. Anyway, enjoy chapter 24!**

 **Chapter 24: The Village's Decision**

In the Germanian capital, Vindobona, Albrecht sat in his bedroom of the royal palace. He stared out of his window at the large city in front of him, drinking a cup of wine. It had already become dark outside. Because of Germania's location in the north of Halkeginia, it had already begun to snow, making the city look very beautiful. To his great annoyance, he was soon interrupted by a knock on his door.

"Come in." He said.

"Sir, I have a report." The man said. He had dark skin with a maroon bear and maroon hair.

"Speak, General Zerbst." Albrecht said.

"Hiraga and Valliere have failed to reach their destination in Gallia. Their location is unknown." Zerbst replied.

"I see. It seems your daughter has done well." Albrecht said.

"Thank you, my lord. Shall I inform our ranks to prepare for attack?" Zerbst asked.

"No, not yet." Albrecht said. "We shall wait for one week to make sure they are disposed of."

"Understood, my lord. We shall continue our training." Zerbst replied.

"No. Prepare a search party." Albrecht said. "Drop flyers throughout Tristain and Gallia claiming that we wish to find them. Post a large reward for any information."

He saluted Albrecht and left his room, closing the door behind him. Albrecht stirred his wine, deep in thought. He picked up a small wooden statue of Brimir.

"I will find them. One day, their power will be mine." He thought to himself.

 **In Obi's village:**

Saito stumbled backward, falling to the ground. How could it be possible that Sasha was still alive all of these years? It should have been impossible for someone to live that long. He remained in shock for several minutes. When he finally came to his senses, he walked back to Obi's home. He slowly made his way to he and Louise's room.

She was already asleep, so he carefully got into bed with her and held her close to him. He then began to think for several hours. The sight of the statue made him unsettled, and try as he might, he could not think of a way to cope with this new-found information.

"Hey Gandalfr." Saito said. "Did you know about this?"

"I did not." He replied.

"How is this possible? For there to be another Gandalfr, the previous one has to die, right?" Saito said.

"As far as I am aware." Gandalfr replied.

"Then how?" Saito thought to himself.

He asked the question for hours upon hours in his head before soon, the fatigue of his constant pondering made him fall asleep. He had the same dream which he had the night before. He dreamed of his future with Louise in his kingdom, but soon saw the same three figures as he had before.

This time, Saito ran towards them with all of his strength. He managed to make contact with them, but when he did, he ran right through them. When he reopened his eyes, he was shocked to see a strange landscape.

The entire landscape was white. Several dozens of small lakes surrounded him, each of which had small towns built onto them. In between the lakes were large, intricate towers. In the distance was a chain of mountains.

"Where am I?" Saito said to himself.

"The Kingdom of Elves." Said a group of voices behind him.

Saito turned around in surprise. The three figures that he had seen earlier had revealed themselves. They were all equally tall men. They all had blonde hair worn in different styles. One had blue eyes, the other had orange ones, and the last had light teal.

They each wore clothes that clearly showed them to be of noble status. Saito then noticed that each of them wore crowns that he recognized to belong to the leaders of Tristain, Gallia, and Albion. Each also had a crest on the capes they wore over their clothes, which Saito recognized as the crests of Tristain, Gallia, and Albion.

"Who are you?" Saito finally said.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." The one with orange eyes said. "My name is Bartholomew. These are my brothers, Vittorio and Oliviére. We are the founders of Tristain, Albion, and Gallia."

"Y-You're supposed to be dead." Saito said.

"Is that any way to greet a new acquaintance?" Said Oliviére, whose blue eyes twinkled as he laughed.

"Indeed, we should be dead if we were entirely human. But, much like yourself it seems, we are not entirely human." Vittorio said. He took the most serious tone of the three, as his teal eyes seemed to pierce Saito's soul.

"How long do Elves live?" Saito asked.

"This one is well read." Bartholomew said. "We tried our best to conceal our heritage. Elves do not die unless killed by someone else."

"You're immortal?" Saito asked.

"Not us, no." He replied. "Our humanity limits our lifetimes, although we are still alive."

"Where have you been for more than 5000 years?" Saito said. "Were you living among humans?"

"Heavens no!" Vittorio said. "We retired to this place once we deemed humanity to be peaceful enough to rule themselves."

"Where is this place?" Saito asked.

"You will find out yourself soon enough. It is time for us to take our leave." Oliviére said.

"Wait! Before you leave." Saito said. "Is Sasha alive."

"No one can kill Mother, so her life is eternal." Oliviére said.

With that, they disappeared. The world around Saito began to crumble until there was nothing left, at which point Saito woke up. He sat up in bed, holding his head in confusion. Louise had already woken up and was taking a bath.

He decided to go for a walk to clear his mind. As he walked through the streets, he paid no attention to the people staring at him. They stared at his eyes, whose luminescence was noticeable even during the day. They stared at his crown that glistened brilliantly in the morning sunlight. Most of all, they stared at his tail, which moved freely behind him as he walked.

As he walked down the street, a group of about 50 men eventually stopped his path. They held swords, spears, and shields. Saito didn't actually notice them until he was in range of their spears. They threw one at his feet, causing him to jump back. He had left Derf at Obi's house, so he decided to speak with them and not instigate a fight.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, politely.

"We do not trust you." One of the men, who appeared to lead the group, said. "You are not human, so we cannot allow you to roam freely around our village. We are protecting our wives and children."

"I have not hurt anyone thus far." Saito said.

"That doesn't mean you won't hurt us later." Another one of the men said.

With his enhanced senses, Saito could hear and see he and Louise's guards gathering behind the men. He discreetly wagged his tail in their direction, signaling for them to stay away. They stopped in their tracks and slowly made their way out of the village to their previous positions.

"I have no intention of hurting any of you unless I or my fiancé are hurt by you." Saito replied to the men.

"We do not trust your word." One of them said. "Come with us to our jail peacefully, or we will use force."

"You are more than welcome to try and take me. I will not move my body against you, but do allow me to remove these fancy clothes. I wore them at my coronation and do not want them to get soiled." Saito replied.

"Very well. Don't move." The leader said.

Saito removed his clothes and set them aside neatly until he was wearing nothing but his undershirt, boxer shorts, and socks. The men surrounded Saito and slowly inched closer to him. His eyes were closed and his body was motionless. Even his tail, which normally wiggled around behind him, lay on the ground without moving. At once, ten of the men grabbed Saito. Eight men in total held his arms and legs, with two holding each limb. Two of the men also grabbed his tail.

However, the instant they laid their hands upon him, they immediately jolted back, screaming in pain. Saito remained motionless and said nothing. The men rolled around on the ground, holding their own hands in pain.

"What happened?!" The leader said.

"Our hands!" They all said. "They burn!"

"What?" He replied. He looked back at Saito. "What kind of magic is this?!"

"Did you see me pull out a wand?" Saito said, keeping his eyes closed. "I haven't used any magic to hurt them."

At this moment, Louise, Obi, and Azealia arrived. They had noticed that Saito was not in the house, so they had come to look for him. When they saw the massive crowd that had gathered, they knew that it was him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Obi said.

"I was taking a walk through your village and these men stopped me. They want to take me to prison because they say I may hurt their families." Saito said.

"This man is a demon!" The leader of the group said. "Even touching him burns the hands of us humans That pink haired witch must be the same!"

Louise saw Saito's tail twitch slightly at the sound of her being called a witch. She knew that if the men continued with their aggravations, he might end up attacking them in a worst case scenario.

"Jean! How can you say such a nasty thing!" Azealia said.

Jean, a young, big, burly man with black hair and a large beard, was reluctant to talk back to her.

"I speak the truth!" He replied. "I knew when they arrived at this village that they could not be trusted. And now look! Throw this man in jail and burn his witch!"

Saito's tail lifted slightly into the air, but came back down quickly, causing the ground to crack. He was now visibly irritated. Obi, too, now noticed his irritation, so he walked to Saito and rubbed his back. It was hotter than normal, but Saito made sure that Obi wouldn't be burnt.

"There will be no such thing happening in my village, Jean." Obi said calmly.

He tried to convince Saito to walk away with him. Eventually, Saito conceded, but not before shooting a glare in Jean's direction. His eyes glowed brilliantly in anger, making Jean step back. Saito went back to Obi's house with the old couple and Louise. On the way, he eventually calmed down. When they arrived in the living room of their home, he bowed towards the three of them.

"I'm sorry!" He finally said. "I caused you a lot of trouble."

"Don't worry about that." Azealia said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I was about to hurt those men." Saito said.

"Well, technically they attacked you first." Obi said. "Besides, it is the mark of a good man if he becomes so upset about his woman being insulted."

"I'm flattered." Louise said, teasing him.

He stood up, feeling better about himself. "Thank you." He said.

They would spend the rest of the day inside, telling each other stories. Saito and Louise learned that Obi was not actually born in the village. He had been born on the coast of Lake Lagdorian. When he grew up, he went to Tristania and eventually became a Captain in Tristain's military. He served on the northern coasts of Tristain, in the same place that Saito's current nation resided.

"So what made you come all the way inland and live here?" Louise asked.

"I had grown up with the coast being the only view I ever laid my eyes upon." Obi said. "So, I decided to retire from the military and travel around a bit. One winter, the whether became rotten. A blizzard befell the region and before long, I lost my bearings. When the blizzard passed, I had wandered so far from the road that I could not even spot the several watchtowers that lined each side of it. For several days and several nights, I wandered aimlessly until I eventually ran out of food. I caught what I could, but being accustomed to a coastal way of life, I was only adept to catching sea creatures. Eventually, I ran out of energy and collapsed. I was tired, hungry, and malnourished. Soon, I fell unconscious. However, when I woke up, I was in a small house being attended to by a dazzlingly beautiful young woman."

"I think they understand the rest of the story." Azealia said, slightly turning red.

"Ah, very well. Just when I was getting to the good part." Obi replied, laughing heartily. "I suppose I'll go to bed. Have a good night, you two."

With that, Obi and Azealia went to bed. The living room was nearly entirely silent, with the only noise being the crackling of the fireplace. After a few minutes, Louise finally decided to speak.

"I suppose we ought to go to bed as well." She said.

"I have to talk to you, Louise." Saito suddenly said.

"About what?" She asked. "If you're worried about what happened today, it's fine. I'm not mad."

"Not that." Saito said. "It's about Gandalfr."

"Oh. What about him?" She asked.

"Not him." Saito said. "Her."

"Her?" Louise asked.

"The first Gandalfr, Sasha. I have reasons to believe she is alive." He replied.

Louise gasped lightly. "How?! Are you sure?! What makes you think that?"

"Let me explain." Saito said. "This village has a statue of the woman who brings this village supplies every decade. On the left hand of the statue, the runes of Gandalfr have been carved. If that wasn't enough, I also…met her sons."

"Met her s-what?" Louise replied. "What do you mean met her sons? They're long dead."

"No." Saito said. "I had a dream last night. They appeared to me and told me that their mother is alive. She will live forever as long as she is not killed. However, since they're half human, they will die someday."

"There's no way." Louise said. "It was just a dream."

"Even if it was, explain the statue." Saito replied, looking directly into her eyes.

Louise remained silent. She tried desperately to come up with an explanation, but couldn't think of anything. She sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling, in a state of shock. Suddenly, she perked up and looked directly at Saito.

"Then what about Brimir?! He was a strong mage! Maybe he found a way to stay alive?" Louise asked, with her voice containing quite a large amount of hope.

"No, Brimir is dead." Saito said. He realized that he had never told her the truth about Sasha and Brimir. He had told her about his relationship with Sasha before, but that was before Gandalfr had told him the truth.

"That's sucks. If she is alive, it must have been hard to live without him after being together for so long…" She said.

"Louise, Gandalfr told me…the truth." Saito said.

"Truth?" She asked.

"Yes. You see, Brimir wasn't who you think he was." Saito began. He went on to explain everything that Gandalfr had told him. From the complete annihilation of the Fairies, Dwarves, and Anioły, races she had no knowledge of.

"I know it's probably hard to take in. I know you probably idealized him, after all." Saito said.

Louise seemed to be a nervous wreck. "There's no way..." She said. "I've always been taught that Brimir saved humanity from the Elves."

"Who do you think has been documenting humanity's history since that era? Brimir made sure that all evidence of what he did was destroyed. Although, I doubt he could destroy all of it." Saito replied.

Louise said nothing. She had mixed feelings of disbelief and guilt. Disbelief of Saito's story, and guilt for idealizing a man who allegedly destroyed three entire races. Saito realized just how hardly she was taking it, so he picked her up and carried her upstairs to sleep. Her face was blank, so Saito laid in bed with her.

He covered them with a blanket and held her close to himself. She covered her face with her hands. Saito tried to move her hands away, but she turned away from him.

He gently turned her towards him and moved her hands away with his tail. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. There was no way for you to know." He said.

Slightly weeping, she buried her face into his chest. Saito held her and stroked her head until she eventually fell asleep. Hoping he would have the same dream again, Saito tried his best to fall asleep, which he did a few hours later.

Unfortunately, he did not have the same dream. The dream, or rather, the nightmare he had was more terrifying than any he had before. Not because of monsters or murder, but because all he saw and heard in his dream was Louise screaming in pain at the top of her voice.

He woke up in a cold sweat, hyperventilating. It was nearly afternoon and Louise wasn't in bed. He sprang out of bed and ran downstairs. He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Louise was sitting on a couch, braiding her hair.

He ran down the stairs and hugged her tightly. She knew that he must have seen something troubling, so she waited for him to calm down before saying anything. After a few minutes, he let go of her and took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I had a nightmare." He said.

"Don't worry about it." She replied. "What was it about?"

"Just some scary monsters. Nothing to worry about." He said. He didn't want her to know about what it actually was.

"How can a 17 year old boy have nightmares about monsters?" She said, teasing him.

"Well technically, I'm 18 right now. Either way, I've seen a lot, so of course I have nightmares. There are no dragons in my world, remember?" He replied rather defensively.

"Well, if being around me comforts you so much, then you can help me braid my hair." She said.

With a heavy sigh, Saito complied with her demands. For hour after hour he tried and failed multiple times to braid it properly until finally, she seemed satisfied. Exhausted and feeling sluggish, he decided to go on a walk with her.

Because he didn't feel that it was safe for them to walk through the village, they went into the valley that Obi's house overlooked. They frolicked an played between the trees for hours until both of them fell to the ground, completely exhausted.

As they looked up at the blue sky together, Louise held his hand. His face flushed red and his heart began to beat more quickly.

"I always feel warm when I'm with you." She told him.

"Well, of course! My body runs at a much higher temperature than normal!" Saito said, doing his best to seem unfazed by her hand

Rather than reply to his embarrassment-filled comment, she turned his head towards her. All the embarrassment left his body when his eyes met hers. They slowly moved their faces closer together. Just as their lips were about to meet, a paper fell on their faces, spoiling their moment. Saito sat up and grabbed the paper.

When he looked around, he saw hundreds of papers landing around them. When he looked up, he saw several dragons with men on them. They were flying around the land dropping papers in the general area. When they finally left, Saito picked up the one that landed on their faces. It had detailed drawings of himself and Louise on it.

"What does it say?" Louise asked him.

"Missing King and Queen. Considerable award for knowledge of their whereabouts. Please respond within the week to receive payment. Emperor Albrecht of Germania." Saito said.

"He must want to know whether or not we're still alive." Louise said.

"Yeah. We might have to leave the village sooner than expected." He replied.

They both got up and began to walk out of the valley towards the village. It was already becoming dark, but because of the steep slope between them and the village, they would have to take a longer way around than when they came into the valley.

 **In the Village's meeting hall:**

Dozens of men gathered under the same roof to discuss the pamphlets that fell from the sky.

"Don't you see that this is our chance to get rid of them?!" Jean said. "Not only will we get a substantial reward, but we can feel safe again and they'll be going back to wherever they came from. Everyone wins!"

Everyone in the hall cheered with agreement. Everyone except Obi, who stood up to speak against the idea.

"What has come over you all? We are a peaceful village! We never judge a man on how they look, and yet you wish to send them away because of just that?! They do not want to be returned to their people yet! We should do everything in our power to make their stay comfortable! Shame on you for treating a guest with such rudeness and then turning them away!" He said.

The crowd of men around him booed. Jean felt triumphant as he smiled upon Obi, who's face did not change from one of resolve and determination.

"It looks like the men of this village do not support you!" He said. He looked at the men standing around Obi. "Seize him and throw him in jail. He'll get in our way!"

With hesitation, they took hold of Obi and carried him off to a nearby building, where he was thrown into one of the cells in the basement. Back in the meeting hall, Jean had the men quiet down.

"Now, my brothers, we need to make preparations. Find the wife of Obi and throw her in jail, so she will not alert the devil and the witch. Do the same with the grandchildren. We shall have men stationed on every corner of the street and the roof of every house. Those on the roof, take bow and arrows in hand. Those on the streets, choose your preferred weapon. We will all attack as soon as we find them!"

All of the men hurried to the village armory and took their positions in the town. Jean sat on the roof of Obi's house, waiting to see the signal that the devil and his witch had arrived.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Firstly, this chapter was much shorter than I wanted it to be. I don't know why it turned out that way, it just did. I'll have another chapter out some time tomorrow, so look out for that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next time!**


	25. Chapter 25: The Hidden Kingdom

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello again, everyone! I wanted this chapter to come out earlier than this, but schoolwork became more troublesome than I had previously anticipated, so I do apologize for that. I've been getting good feedback about the story so far, so thank you guys! Enjoy chapter 25!**

 **Chapter 25: The Hidden Kingdom**

Saito and Louise slowly walked out of the valley and back towards the village. Night had fallen and the air was very cold. Saito wrapped his tail around Louise, protecting her from the brutal cold. As they walked, Louise decided to ask him about his world.

"Saito, what are your parents like?" She suddenly said.

"Worried about meeting them?" Saito replied.

"Well, yeah." She said. "How will they react to you suddenly coming home with a wife?"

"That's the least of my problems." Saito said. "I mean, I have a tail, fangs, and orange eyes."

"Yeah." Louise said. "Do you think they'll accept me? Accept us?"

"If we show how much we love each other, they'll support us. My father was always getting on my case about getting a girlfriend, so I know he'll be really happy once the shock goes away." He replied.

"I hope you're right." She said, hugging him.

"Don't worry. My sister will vouch for you as well if it comes to it." He said, kissing her forehead.

"You have a sister?" She asked.

"Yeah. She's older than me. I can't wait for you to meet her. You'd love her." He said. "Come to think about it, I still have to meet your family. I mean…I met them before when I came here for the first time."

"How did that go?" She asked.

His eyes narrowed as the thought of what happened in the boat on Louise's estate returned to him. She could tell from his expression that his first meeting with her family didn't go brilliantly.

"Cattleya is really nice. Eleonore though…" He finally said.

Louise started to laugh at him, which he found very adorable. He picked her up as if she was his bride. She blushed from the surprise of having her feet pulled from under her. He looked down at her and slowly gave her a kiss.

She readily accepted it. The warmth of his lips made her forget that they were standing in a cold forest. She felt like a part of her heart was broken off when he pulled away. Her lips remained puckered for several seconds after they broke apart.

"Hey Saito." She said. "When we get back…"

"Sure thing!" He said, giving her a hug. "You don't have to ask me for that."

They kissed each other once more and continued towards the village. On their way, the temperature dropped further and soon, snow began to fall. They hurried towards the village, excited at the night they would have.

When they were only about one kilometer away from the village gate, Saito stopped. Louise turned to look at him, knowing that something was off.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"I can hear clamoring in the village. People are talking about some kind of plan and…they have weapons." He said.

"You can hear them from this far away?" She asked.

"I can hear them clearly as if they're right next to me." He said.

He remained quiet for several minutes. He could hear them talking about how they were uncertain about throwing Obi and his family in jail. Feeling extremely worried now, he sent a large amount of magic into his left eye.

With his eye activated, he could clearly see into the village. He saw the men stationed on rooftops and hidden in dark shadows around the buildings. He noted all of their positions, especially Jean's, who sat on the roof of Obi's house. He made sure that none of them were capable of defeating him with magic, then looked for a group of magic orbs, which would be Obi and his family. After searching for a few minutes, he identified a group of people underground. Three of them were small, while two were of average size.

"Found them!" Saito said. "James! Can you here me?!"

There was a rustle in the trees and soon, James appeared before him along with a group of ten soldiers.

"How may I serve you?" He said.

"I am going into town to free Obi and his family. Remain here with Louise. I will bring them out shortly." Saito replied.

"I must object, my lord. You have no business in that town." James said.

"This is a direct order." Saito said as he walked away.

The guards bowed and surrounded Louise. She watched Saito walk away, feeling a great amount of admiration for him. It was the first time she had seen him use his authority, so she thought he looked very kingly as he walked away.

Soon, he vanished into thin air, as he used his speed to quickly get into the village. He landed on top of the statue of Sasha. In the darkness, the only parts of him that were visible were his glowing eyes and tail.

He looked around the village and soon identified the prison building. He quickly dispatched the eight men who were guarding the building, throwing them into the town's sewers. With the strength of his tail, he ripped the door off of the building and ran downstairs.

It was pitch black, but Saito was able to clearly see several cell doors. He could hear breathing in one of them, and when he arrived in front of it, he identified Obi, Azealia, and the kids. The kids were afraid of him at first, but soon realized who it was.

"Don't make a sound." Saito whispered.

He picked up the kids with his tail, while he picked up Obi and Azealia in his arms. He ran out of the building and arrived in front of Louise within a few seconds. He put everyone down. They couldn't stand, as they weren't used to moving at such high speeds.

Before anyone could say anything to him, he disappeared again. He made his way to Obi's house, where Jean was waiting to hear word from his men. Saito appeared behind him. He observed his surroundings before making himself known.

"Jean! What did you do?" He said.

Jean turned around and looked directly at Saito. He couldn't actually see him, as the moon was obscured by clouds. He could only see his tail and eyes, reassuring Jean that Saito must be some kind of evil being.

"Hello, Demon. How did you find me?" He said.

"I am not an ordinary human anymore." Saito said.

He noticed that Jean was holding a sword that he recognized. Upon further inspection, he recognized it as Derf. Saito held the space between his nose in frustration.

"Derf! Wake the hell up!" He said.

"Have you gone mad?" Jean said. "Who are you talking to."

"My sword." Saito said. "Put it down."

"Give me a reason to." Jean said, smiling at him.

Saito didn't say anything. He looked bored of the situation. At this time, the men that Jean had stationed in the house came to the roof after hearing the noise. They immediately surrounded Saito, brandishing swords. Saito, again, remained silent. After a few moments, the silence was broken by another voice that was unfamiliar to Jean.

"Eh? How long was I asleep, partner?" The voice said.

Saito, of course, recognized the voice as Derf, but Jean couldn't identify it.

"Who's there?!" Jean said.

"What? Who the hell are you?" Derf said, referring to Jean.

Saito began to walk towards Jean. Archers on the other buildings launched arrows at him, but a gust of hot air emanating from his body stopped them in their path, making them fall to the ground. He continued to walk towards Jean until he was within an arms reach.

Jean lifted the blade and brought it down onto Saito's head. He felt satisfaction at first, but noticed that Saito was unhurt. His tail had stopped the blade before it touched Saito's skull. Because of the nature of his tail, no sword was capable of cutting it unless used with magic.

The tail gripped the blade and pulled it out of Jean's hand.

"You slept for too long, Derf." Saito said.

"I need long periods of sleep every now and then. I must have been out for a long time. You look…different." Derf said.

"I'll explain that to you later. For now, we need to take these guys out." Saito said.

He swung Derf around, getting a feel for him. What followed was a complete humiliation of every man who aligned with Jean in the village. Without moving from where he stood, it took him less than a minute to bring everyone on the rooftop down in defeat. He made sure not to injure them badly, choosing to knock them out instead. One by one, men from elsewhere in the village tried to incapacitate Saito, and one by one they were all defeated, until only Jean was left standing. Saito grabbed Derf's scabbard from Jean's back and then looked down at him.

"I'm going to leave your village, but you must tell me one thing." Saito said. "Did you send word to Germania of my presence?"

Jean, who was battered from his short fight, shook his head. "We never had the chance."

"Good." Saito said. "I see now why she did not come this year."

With that, he disappeared, leaving Jean clueless as to what he meant. He reappeared in front of Louise, who was comforting the three children. He sat down next to her to rest for a short while. When he had more energy, he looked at Obi and Azealia.

"I don't think you should stay in the village for now. It isn't safe for you and the kids." He said.

"The village is all we have." Obi said.

"Me and Louise will provide a place for you to live. Don't worry, I'll make sure the village is safe." Saito said. "James, escort this family to Tristania. Tell Henrietta that Obi was a Captain in the military who completed heroic acts. Make sure they find a safe place to live."

"I understand." James said. "Shall I leave a squad here to continue to guard you?"

"No." Saito said. "Louise and I can take care of ourselves."

"Very well." James said.

His men surrounded Obi and the kids. They began to walk in the direction of the capital until eventually, they were out of sight of Louise and Saito. Saito picked Louise up.

"We should sleep in the woods. I can't risk you being in danger again." He said.

"Okay." She replied. "I trust you."

Saito smiled and looked around them until he eventually found a cave with a ground made of stone. He gathered several dry leaves and laid them on the ground. He laid Louise down on them then stood up.

"I'm going hunting. Go to sleep. It's already midnight." He said.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you." She said.

"Sorry I couldn't keep my promise for tonight." He said, giving her a kiss.

He walked out of the cave and went in hunt of deer.

"What happened while I was asleep, Partner? You look different." Derf said.

"Absorbing Gandalfr changed me. There's not much else to say about that." Saito replied. "There's one more thing as well…"

"And what would that be?" Derf asked.

"Sasha could still be alive." He replied.

Derf was silent for a few seconds. "That's not hard to believe." He said.

"What?! You're not even a little surprised?" Saito asked.

"I am an old being, Saito. I know what the Elves are like. They do not die unless they are killed. Although that was a strength, it also turned out to be a weakness." Derf said.

"I was told about the wars and the genocides that Brimir carried out." Saito said.

"Ah, so that beast inside you finally spilled the beans, eh?" Derf replied.

"Yeah." Saito said. "I made a promise to release him and his brothers one day."

"I see. I guess a lot did happen in my absence. Speaking of which, why are you two in the middle of nowhere? Don't you have a country to rule?" Derf said.

"We are waiting for the Germanians to launch an invasion of Tristain and its allies. It'll happen very soon. Until then, we want to stay hidden, otherwise we won't be able to get rid of Albrecht." Saito said.

Saito hunted in silence for about an hour afterwards, in which time he caught two large boars. As he walked back towards the cave, he wondered exactly how much Derf knew about the past, but never told him.

"Hey Derf, in a dream, I saw a large land covered with lakes. All the lakes had towns on them and there was a mountain chain in the distance. Do you know a place like that?' He asked.

"I do. It's the new kingdom the surviving Elves established after Brimir's death and the end of the war." Derf replied.

"Can you tell me where it is?" Saito asked.

"Well, Sasha told me I was forbidden to tell any human where it is, but you are Gandalfr, so I'll make an exception." Derf said. "The Elves who founded it, Sasha included, used a kind of cloaking magic to hide the entire kingdom. Anyone who has not been there, or is not guided by someone who has been there in the past would know nothing of its existence. The entire area would simply look like wilderness."

"Where would it be on a modern map?" Saito asked.

"Somewhere in Gallia." Derf said

"I see. I guess I know where we're headed tomorrow." Saito replied, as they finally reached the cave where Louise was waiting.

He quickly skinned and gutted the boars. After starting a fire and starting to roast them, he sat down next to Louise. They were quiet for several moments, listening to the sound of the crackling fire, until Saito eventually spoke up.

"I want to head to Gallia tomorrow." He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"The Elves." Saito said. "Derf tells me that their home might be in Gallia."

"I suppose he would know since he's so old." She replied. "But won't we be seen if we go there?"

"Their kingdom is quite deep in Gallia, so you will have to either travel quickly, or where disguise." Derf said.

"Traveling quickly won't be a problem." Saito said. "But still, we should take precautions."

He grabbed some meat from the fire and handed it to Louise. They quietly ate for a few minutes until both boars had disappeared. Saito hugged Louise close to himself, laying his tail on her to keep her warm. He slowly stroked her head until she eventually fell asleep. Something he did as well moments later.

The next morning, Saito woke up before the sun rose. Louise was still asleep, but he was eager to make his way to the Elf kingdom. He gently picked her up, as he would his bride, and began running towards the Gallian border.

It only took about two hours to reach the border because Saito had to run more slowly to make sure he didn't wake Louise. When they arrived, the sun had just risen. He laid Louise on the ground and waited for her to wake up. About twenty minutes later, she finally woke up, wondering where she was.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"We just entered Gallia." He replied. "We should be able to get to our destination in by the end of the day if I run constantly, according to Derf."

"Oh." She said, still feeling tired. "Let's keep going then."

"Aren't you hungry or something?" He asked her.

"I'll eat after we find the Elves. I know how much it means to you." She said, smiling.

"I'll get there really fast for you." He said. "Hold on, okay?"

She nodded and let him pick her up. He slowly built up speed so that she wouldn't be too shocked. When he was running as fast as he could with her in his arms, she buried her face into his chest from fear.

Saito ran for the entire day, bypassing villages, towns, and even the capital city. Eventually, Derf told him to stop running. They stopped in a place that looked like any other forest.

"Are you sure this is the place, Derf?" Saito asked.

"Positive." He replied. "Just wait."

They sat hungry in the middle of the woods for hours. It soon turned dark, but it wasn't as cold because of Gallia's position further south. Soon, Louise fell asleep. Saito sat upright against a tree, keeping watch to make sure they weren't seen. After a while, Derf seemed to fidget a little.

"Your eyes. Turn them on." He said.

Saito didn't argue. He fed magic to his left eye. Through the dark, he could see two people watching him from afar. He pulled Derf from his scabbard slowly. Making sure Louise was hidden, he quickly moved to their position. They completely froze and put their hands in the air.

"Who are you?" He said.

They looked at him with confused expressions, but said nothing.

"They don't understand you, partner." Derf said. "Let me handle this."

He began to speak to them in language Saito hadn't heard before. They spoke back in the same language, and the two seemed to suddenly admire Saito. They beckoned for him to follow them, so he went and picked up the still sleeping Louise, after which he followed them to where they wanted to take him.

He followed them for a few yards. When they finally stopped, they began to chant in the same language, which Saito thought sounded like Latin. For several minutes they spoke. Finally, a large bright circle appeared in front of them.

They motioned for Saito to enter, but he was slightly hesitant. Eventually, who moved forward into the light. He was blinded for several minutes, but when he regained his vision, a familiar sight greeted him.

It was the same land that he saw in his dream. He was on the top of a hill overlooking several lakes that dotted the landscape, each of which had a town in their centre. The lakes themselves were frozen solid because of the time of year, and Saito could see several people skating on them.

He was led to a small building a few feet away. When the people inside saw him, the immediately pointed spears at him. The two people who were with him removed their hats, revealing that they were Elves, and spoke to those holding the spears. After a short conversation, they lowered their spears.

They opened a small trap door in the ground and motioned for Saito to go inside. Holding Louise close to him, he stepped inside. The door led to an underground tunnel, which was lit by several lamps hung on the walls.

"Derf, ask them where they're taking us." Saito said.

"We're taking you to the Palace." One of the guards replied.

"You speak Halkeginian?" Saito asked with surprise.

"Yes." The guard said. "Although, I never thought I'd need to use it."

They walked for several minutes until they reached the end of the tunnel. They climbed up a ladder that led to another trap door. The door was opened to reveal a large, fancy room. The roof was decorated with paintings that clearly depicted the wars between Brimir and his enemy races. The floor was made of white marble and the walls were painted dark purple. Gold accents highlighted the edges of the walls where they met the roof and the ground.

"You wait here." The guard said.

He left the room through a large golden door and closed it behind him. Because there was no furniture in the room, Saito sat on the ground, still holding Louise. After about an hour, Louise woke up. She was in a daze and hadn't quite processed what was happening.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"We found them." Saito said, smiling at her. "Sorry to keep you starving, but we'll eat soon. I promise."

Not wanting to fathom what was happening, she laid her head on Saito's lap and rested some more. After another hour, an Elfish woman walked into the room. She wore a long white dress and had black hair.

"Please come with me." She said.

Saito got up, helping Louise stand as well. They followed the woman down a variety of hallways that were decorated similarly to the room they were just in. Statues of people's heads were mounted on pedestals along the hallways.

Eventually, they reached a massive marble door. The woman opened it gently. Inside was a large room. It was almost the same as the one they had just been in, but in its centre was large, crescent shaped table. It had a solid wooden base and its counter was made of marble.

Behind the table sat four people, who's looks varied greatly. On the far left from Saito's perspective was a short man with a long, brown beard and yellow eyes. His hair was combed backwards with gel applied to it do that it would stay down. He'd be considered quite handsome, but his beard was so thick that one could not clearly see his facial features. He wore heavy, black robes adorned with golden highlights around its collar, wrists, and buttons.

On the short man's left was an equally short man, albeit with a less stalky build. He had long red hair tied by a single rubber band, as well as grey eyes. His skin was quite pale, but seemed extremely healthy. His most notable feature was that on his back were a pair of wings that resembled that of a butterfly. He wore a simple, long sleeved, grey shirt.

To the pale man's left was a very tall, extremely beautiful woman. He height exceeded that of which Saito thought was healthy for a human. She had long black hair that extended to her feet, and wore a silver dress. On her back were three pairs of wings like that of a dove's. Their feathers were black and had a glossy sheen. Her skin had the same pigmentation as Louise's, and was extremely smooth. Her bust would be considered massive for a human, but it was proportional to her body.

Finally, the last person sitting there was a very beautiful Elf. She had white, shoulder length hair and green eyes. Around her neck, she wore a silver collar with a green gem stone in its centre. She wore a pair of thin, dark green, silk arm warmers on each arm. On her body, she wore bandages that wrapped around her chest and abdomen. She also had bandages covering her left hand. Her face seemed to emit feelings of boredom, confusion, and interest at the same time.

The short, scruffy man spoke to Saito first.

"Hello, young boy. Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Orlan. I represent the Dwarves of this country." He said.

"I am Eres." Said the man with butterfly wings. "I represent the Fairies of this country."

"I am Helen." Said the woman with feathered wings. "I represent the Anioły of this country."

"I represent the Elves of this country." The last one said in a voice almost as quiet as Tabitha's. "My name is-"

"Sasha…" Saito said instinctively.

Her eyes widened slightly. "You know of me?" She said.

He pulled Derf from his scabbard, giving him the chance to see her.

"Hey Sasha, it's you old friend." He said.

"I recognize your voice." She said.

"It's Derflinger, don't you remember?" He replied.

She gave the closest thing to a smile that her face seemed capable of making. "It's been so long. Why are you in the possession of this…what are you?" She asked.

"My name is Hiraga Saito." Saito said. "I am a human being, and the current Gandalfr."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry for my tardiness again, guys. I keep trying to get these chapters out during the day, and it just never works out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Depending on how things go, it may be up to two days before I post a new one. Thanks for reading guys! Take care!**


	26. Chapter 26: Uncertainty

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I was going to put off writing this chapter today, but I decided that since I didn't have too much going on, I could squeeze it into my schedule. Hopefully, that doesn't affect quality. So without further ado, enjoy chapter 26!**

 **Chapter 26: Uncertainty**

"The current Gandalfr?" Helen said. "I suppose that explains why you have that ancient weapon."

"How are you still drawing your power from Gandalfr?" Sasha asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Saito asked.

"A few months ago, I became unable to access his strength. I do not know why." She said.

Saito remained confused for a while. For several minutes, he combed his mind trying to find any information that would help him. Finally, it dawned on him.

"I believe it is because I became Gandalfr twice." He said.

The four leaders at the table looked confused. As far as their knowledge went, it should be impossible for someone to become Gandalfr twice.

"Allow me to explain." Saito said. "I was transported to this world about two and a half years ago in my time. For two years, I remained in Halkeginia and helped several people. However, about half a year ago, I was somehow transported back to my world. Not through a Void mage's world door, but by something else. I had no memory of what brought me back. After looking for clues for a little while, it seemed that not only was I transported to my world, but I was also transported back in time."

Saito noticed Sasha's face change a little when he mentioned time, but it quickly returned to normal, making Saito confident that she knew something.

"I knew that I would be transported back to Halkeginia, so I waited. When I eventually got back, I made a contract again with my master, Louise." He continued. "I thought that the Gandalfr rune would appear on some other part of my body, but instead, my arm became gruesomely injured. Strange runes appeared on it as well."

"These runes." Sasha said. "Let us see them."

Rather hesitantly, Saito took off his coat and shirt, revealing his scarred body and the runes on his arm. They all looked at his arm, with their faces looking very grim. It made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. Eventually, Sasha signaled for him to put his shirt and coat back on.

"I suppose that explains your body." She said. "You do not look human, after all."

She then looked at Louise, who was cowering behind Saito. "You must be his master. Louise, was it?"

Louise nodded. "I-It's a pleasure to meet you." She said, frightened.

"You need not fear me. Human's current perception of Elves is wrong. Your relationship with your familiar seems to be quite a close one." She said. "Are you, perhaps, in love?"

Louise's face flushed red with embarrassment.

"Sasha, these people seem tired." Eres said. "Perhaps we should wait until they rest before questioning them further."

"Yes, you're right." She replied. "I am simply interested in them. Helen, perhaps you can provide them living quarters?"

Helen nodded. "Very well. Come with me." She said.

She stood up, towering above everyone in the room. She seemed to glide towards them, making her seem like a goast.

"Please follow me." She said.

They walked out of the room, following her though the large door, which closed softly behind them. She led them through several hallways before reaching a large door. When she opened it, they saw several large buildings, each of which was built with a different style.

As they walked through the streets of the town, Saito and Louise identified all four races which Gandalfr told Saito about, along with some that they didn't know. Everyone on the streets stared at them, some of them with eyes filled with hate.

Terrified of what might happen if they were to lose each other, Saito held onto Louise. They walked through the town for several minutes before reaching its edge. Stretching before them was the ice lake that surrounded the town.

There were several carriages on which were pulled by large, wolf like dogs. They were modified with skid instead of wheels to be pulled on ice. Helen gestured for them to get into one. They were carried on the ice for several minutes until the carriages stopped on the bank of a beach. A large palace carved into a cliff face overlooked the beach.

A statue of a four winged man was mounted in front of its gate. When they arrived inside, seven tall women came towards them. They all had two wings of varying colors. They wore black skirts and had their hair cut to shoulder length.

"Welcome home, Ms. Helen." They said. "What is your wis-"

They stopped when they noticed Saito and Louise. Quickly, each of them pulled daggers from underneath their clothes. Saito jumped in front of Louise, ready to protect her if need be.

"Stand down." Helen said. "These are guests. You will keep them comfortable."

"But, Madame Helen," One of them said. "They're humans!"

"These humans are our guests." Helen said calmly, spreading her wings to intimidate them into backing down.

"Yes ma'am." They finally said, putting their weapons away and bowing.

"I must discuss this matter with the other representatives. Until I return, you are to cater to their every need. Understood?" She said.

"Yes ma'am." They all replied.

"Good." She said. She looked back down at Saito and Louise. "I do apologize about that. Please, enjoy my home in my absence."

She left them inside the house and closed the door behind her. Saito felt uncomfortable being left alone with them, but the maids were all bowing towards him. Saito looked at Louise and then back at the maids.

"Would you please make Louise some food?" He asked. "She has not eaten since this morning and it is already midnight."

"As you wish, human." They said.

They walked off into one of the hallways. Soon, the aroma of cooking food was filling the room. Saito lifted Louise through the palace. It only had two stories, but extended very deep into the cliff. He eventually found a bedroom on the second story. It was carved directly into the Earth, with the walls made of smoothed out rock.

An unusually large bed was set at the end of the ovular room. It was white and looked very plush. Two sofas sat on either side of the room, accompanied by two nightstands that sat on the side of the bed. A door on the left side of the room led into a large bathroom. It had a massive tub that was carved from stone, as well as several luxurious toiletries.

Saito laid Louise down on the bed and sat down next to her. "You should sleep after you eat." He said. "It's not healthy for you to have stayed awake for so long."

She nodded and laid her head on his lap. "Do you think we're safe here?" She asked.

"I have no idea. It's obvious that the people here don't like us." He said. "I can't say I blame them."

"Yeah." She replied. "It looks like Brimir wasn't entirely successful."

"Looks like it." Saito said. "I don't know what to tell them. There's no way they could ever trust us."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to improve how they look at us." She replied.

"We shouldn't go out of our way to do so, though." Saito said. "It would look too forced. We should just let things happen normally."

At this time, six of the twelve winged women walked into their room holding several large trays of delicious looking food. Most of it was fish based, with a variety of grains, vegetables, and even fruits to go along with it.

They laid the trays of food around Saito and Louise on the bed and then bowed. "Is there anything else you need, humans?" One of them said.

"That will be all. Thank you very much." Saito said.

They bowed low and left the room. Saito could see the disgust they felt for him on their faces. As precaution, he smelled the food, making sure there was no poison in it. When he gave it the all clear, Louise immediately began eating.

For several hours, they merrily ate together, telling jokes and laughing. Eventually, they finished the large feast. Almost immediately, Louise fell asleep. Saito picked up all of the dishes and went to the kitchen. All of the maids were standing there in a line, awaiting his next orders.

"You don't have to do anything." He said. "The food you made was really good. Thanks."

"You're welcome, human." They all said, looking down at the ground.

"You can call me by my name, you know." He told them.

"That would be disrespectful, human. Although, I suppose a human would not know of things such as respect." One of them said.

Saito sighed and left the dishes in the sink. He went back up to the second floor and laid in bed with Louise. A little bit of food was stuck to her lip, so Saito gently pushed it off of her. He eventually fell asleep, as the warmth from her body comforted him into unconsciousness.

Saito was woken up a few hours later. The sun had risen, and the sound of songbirds was in the air. He was repeatedly poked by something. He slowly opened his eyes to see one of the maids poking him with a stick.

"What's wrong?" Saito asked, sleepily.

"Madame Helen is here to see you. Please leave this girl here. You must meet with the Kingdom's representatives." She said.

Saito seemed extremely hesitant to leave Louise alone. He gently nudged her awake. She lazily opened her eyes and looked at him, obviously irritated that she was woken up.

"What's wrong, Saito." She asked.

"We have to go." Saito said, quietly.

"Eh? Fine…" She replied. She felt too lazy to have an argument with him.

They got dressed in clothes that were laid out for them while their coronation ones were washed. Saito's were simple, consisting of a long sleeved black shirt and grey pants. Louise's were just as simple, as she only wore a simple, long pink dress. They were led downstairs, where Helen was waiting for them.

"Good morning. I hope this day finds you well." She said, giving them a sincere smile.

"Yes it does. Thank you for keeping us." Louise said.

"I am afraid I must take Mr. Hiraga away to meet with the others." She said to Louise.

"I would rather she come with me." Saito said.

Helen looked at Louise for several seconds. After a while, her expression changed into one of 'of course!'.

"Ah, now I see why you would rather she be with you so much." She said. "However, now I am even more convinced that she must stay here."

Saito wanted to argue, but also somewhat confused as to what she meant. He was going to argue, but Louise gave him a look to reassure him that she'd be fine. He gave her a long kiss, as if to make himself believe that she was right.

"I'll be back soon." He said.

She nodded and kissed him back, after which she returned to her room upstairs. Saito turned back towards Helen. She had a wide smile on her face, which made Saito feel rather uncomfortable.

"Why're you smiling at me?" He asked.

"You two are just adorable." She replied. "Now, let's get going."

Without giving Saito a chance to respond, she walked outside to the carriage that was waiting for them. They travelled back to what Helen told Saito was the 'Parliament Building', the place that Saito and Louise were taken when they arrived.

They walked into the room that contained the crescent table. All three of the representatives that Saito had met before were sitting in the room behind the table. A chair was set for him in front of them. He took a seat, letting his tail rest on the ground.

"How can I help you?" He asked.

"Hiraga Saito," Sasha said. "We asked you here to discuss the runes which have shown themselves on your arm, as well as your status as Gandalfr."

"I understand." He replied. "What would you like me to tell you?"

"Well first," Orlan said. "do you know of the location of the other void mage?"

"Yes." Saito said. "One is the current Queen of Gallia's identical twin, Josette. Another is a blonde elf named Tiffania. She resides in Albion. The other is Vittorio, the pope of Romalia."

"I see." Eres said. "Explain for us the human's political situation."

"The countries that Sasha's sons created are all currently allied." He said. "However, there is a very powerful militaristic nation in the east that threatens war at the moment."

"Interesting. Thank you for informing us. It's good to know that Sasha's work was not in vain." Helen said. "Now, about the runes on your arm. You say they were caused by 'absorbing' Gandalfr."

"Yes." Saito replied.

"I assume, then, that that is why your body has changed as it has." Orlan said.

Saito nodded.

"Are you aware of the ancient myth of Soren, he who controls all reality?" Sasha asked.

"Yes." Saito said. "I was informed that these runes were similar to the ones that were shown in a story book, but we weren't able to find anything else related to it."

"Well, that myth is not a myth." She said. "He exisists."

A feeling of fear shot into his heart, so much so that he couldn't say anything.

"However, he also has a counterpart." Sasha continued. "Tempus, he who controls all of time."

"Time?" Saito said.

"Yes. Even long ago in Brimir's age, they were thought of as myths and legends." She said. "However, your story gives us more evidence to believe they are real. You see, there is no magic available to mortals like us that is capable of altering the flow of time."

"Which means that it could only be the work of a deity." Saito said.

"Yes." She replied. "Although we don't know for sure if this is true, it is the most logical explanation as of now."

"I see." Saito said. "Have you been able to find anything out recently?"

"No. You see, most evidence that would lead us to a conclusion most likely resides in the human world." Eres said. "Because of our…past disagreements with humanity, going to their world is out of the question."

"You adorn yourself with a crown." Orlan said. "Are you a king?"

"I was recently made king of a small land." Saito said.

"Size does not matter. Perhaps you can help us." Orlan replied.

"How could I possibly help you?" Saito asked.

"A King, no matter how small his land, always hold a high amount of authority." Eres said. "We would greatly appreciate it if you were to help us."

"Why do you want to find out if those gods exist anyway?" Saito asked.

"We want to be sure of their existence before humans are." Helen said. "If there were a way to harness this power, we must find out about it before humanity."

"If you do find that they exist in one hundred percent certainty, and if you do manage to harness that power, what will you do with it?" Saito asked.

"If you fear us exacting revenge on humanity, we can assure you that we do not plan any such thing." Helen said. "We do not expect you to answer immediately, so while you think, please feel free to do as you please."

"Okay. I'll think it over." He said.

They all left the room at the same time. Helen, Eres, and Orlan went separate ways to fulfill whatever duties they had, while Sasha and Saito went on a walk. When he walked on the streets with her, people did not stare at him as they had before. Their eyes were fixated on Sasha. She was, of course, very beautiful, but their eyes seemed to admire something else about her.

"I do not like being stared at like this." She said.

"I'd have thought that after how long you've been alive, you'd be used to it." He replied.

"Not at all. Let's go somewhere more private." She said.

They walked towards the mountain chain that watched over the series of lakes and towns. Eventually, she led Saito to a small wood log cabin. It was cozy inside and had several items of food and drinks in the cabinets.

"Is this your house?" Saito asked.

"Yes." She replied. "I've never been one for extravagance. So tell me, how does a familiar become a king?"

"That's a really long story. I just did a lot of stuff to gain favor with Tristain's queen." He replied.

"So Tristain has a Queen now? How fascinating." She said as she made them tea. "So, is the girl with pink hair your queen?"

"You're too direct." Saito replied, quickly turning red in embarrassment. "We're not married yet."

"Oh? My apologies." She said as she served him tea.

"We are engaged, but with the way the world is now, we decided to wait until things settle down." He said, as he sipped the tea. It had a strong, wood aroma that he had never smelled before, but was very tasty.

"She is a good girl. I do find it strange that you would make her pregnant before you have been wed, but I suppose times change." She said, nonchalantly.

"What?" Saito said. "What do you mean 'make her pregnant'?"

"Did you not know?" She asked.

Saito became extremely pale almost instantly. Inside, he told himself that it must be a lie. Repeatedly, he told himself that it wasn't true. For several minutes, he remained motionless. Sasha didn't seem to care about this, as she just kept sipping her tea.

Every single day since the first time he had sex with her, he had checked to make sure she wasn't pregnant. So how could Sasha possibly believe otherwise? This thought reassured him. It was impossible for Louise to be pregnant.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I'm going to be honest, I was not planning to drop that bomb this early. I just felt like I really wanted to write it so…yeah. The chapter itself is kind of short, so I apologize about that. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it. See ya next time! There also may be another chapter today, so look out for that!**


	27. Chapter 27: Love and War

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I told you there could be another chapter today, and here it is! I'm not sure how long it'll be, or how good it'll be for that matter, so don't go in with high hopes. Anyway, enough of my blabbering. Enjoy chapter 27!**

 **Chapter 27: Love and War**

"She is not pregnant." Saito said. "I've checked every day since the first time we…had sex."

"Oh, but she is." Sasha said with a slightly monotone voice. "It seems she has been for…one month now. Perhaps two months."

"I would have noticed by now." Saito said. "With my power, I would be able to see it."

"Not necessarily." Sasha said. "Because you are clearly no longer human, I suspect that the child will take much longer to develop than normal."

"Louise has more than enough magic to support any child, so that makes no sense." Saito said, rather defensively.

"It is not magic that is the issue. The issue is your body." Sasha explained. "It requires more material for such a child's body to develop. I've seen it a lot here in this Kingdom. Some members of our races have taken wives and husbands from another. The children they have take a much longer time to be born than normal."

"If that's the case, why have I not seen any foreign magic inside of her?" He asked.

"Magic does not become endowed upon the baby until they form an embryo. Slowly after the baby forms, they will develop their own magic." She replied.

"I don't believe you." Saito said, bluntly.

"You will believe me when the child is born." She said, equally as stubbornly. "I may not look it, but I am a very old woman. I have powers that I have not shown you. I promise you that she will give birth to your child."

"And when do you say that will happen?" Saito asked.

"It depends on the person. When I had my children, it took more than a year for them to be born. For Elves, it usually takes upwards of two years, but it took a shorter time for me because it was easier for my body to support half human children." She said. "I suspect it could be even more for you."

"I can't afford for her to have a baby right now." Saito said with his voice filled with fear. "It's too dangerous."

"Well, a king needs a family to protect." She said. "However, since you will not always be around her to protect her, perhaps she needs training of her own."

"What kind of training?" Saito asked.

"She needs to know how to use magic better than she does now." She said.

"Wait, how do you know she can't use magic well?" Saito asked.

"I've had someone go to the human world and find information about you two." She said. "Information about you is hard to come by, but she seems to be well known. I am well aware that she is somewhat incapable of using 'normal' magic, but her void magic is quite powerful."

"How do you plan to help her control it?" He asked.

"I used to watch Brimir practice, so I have a little knowledge about what might help her." She said. "He was capable of casting large explosions without reciting the incantation. In the rare cases that he did need to recite it, it was several times stronger. I doubt any void mage will ever reach his level of strength and control, but that doesn't mean they are weak."

"If you do want to train her, you will have to ask her yourself." He said.

"I plan to." She replied. "I plan to train you, as well."

"Me?" He said with surprise.

"Yes. If you do plan on protecting her, you must be as strong as possible." She said.

"I think I am strong enough to protect her." He said. His tail slightly twitched in agitation.

She stood up and opened the door. "If you believe yourself to be capable, perhaps you won't mind if we spar for a little while."

"Don't do it, partner." Derf suddenly said. "She'll eat you alive."

"There's nothing to worry about, Derf." Saito said, filled with confidence. "Are we going to use weapons, Sasha?"

"I do not mind either way. You may decide." She said.

"Well, since you don't draw on Gandalfr's power anymore, I guess it would be unfair." He said.

Sasha led him deeper into the woods until they reached a large clearing. It had the dimensions of a full size soccer pitch. It had short grass and was clearly used for training before, as the trees surrounding it had sword marks on them. They stood at opposite ends of the field, ready to begin their fight.

"We may begin whenever you please." Sasha said.

"Got it." Saito replied.

He remained motionless for several seconds before suddenly running as fast as he could in her direction. In less than three seconds, he was upon her and about to throw his first punch. She did not move and her face did not change.

As his fist was about to make contact with her face, she calmly raised her right hand. Seemingly without effort, she stopped him in his tracks. His eyes widened with surprise, and the next thing he knew, she threw him back across the field into the dense trees.

He was in a lot of pain. When he opened his eyes and looked up, Sasha was standing above him, looking down at him with the same, slightly sad and bored expression she always had. She kicked him back across the field, making him cough up a bit of blood.

Again, when he opened his eyes, she stood above him. He was prepared to feel the hateful feeling of being thrown one hundred yards in the other direction. However, she instead helped him to his feet.

"I believe our match is over." She said. "You are injured. I will have doctors attend to your wounds."

"It's fine. I'll be healed by tomorrow afternoon." He said, feeling defeated.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then helped him back to her cabin, letting him lean on her as they walked. The whole way down the hill, he was staring at her. He couldn't believe that someone so gentle looking and beautiful could be so powerful.

When they arrived, he sat on one of her chairs as she prepared them a snack. He looked down at his hands. When he thought about it, he didn't know very much in the way of fighting when he wasn't using a weapon. However, what bothered him most of all was Sasha's sheer physical strength.

"Are all Elves that strong?" He asked.

"No. I doubt there are many elves who could fight you. Perhaps our Generals could hold their own, but even they do not have the same physical strength that you possess." She said.

"Then how did you get so strong?" Saito asked.

"I was experimented on by Brimir." She said, bluntly. "It's also how I became Gandalfr. He lied to me. However, the secret to most of my strength lies elsewhere. However, that story is for another time."

As she said this, it was the first time Saito heard the feeling of pain in her voice.

"I'm sorry." He said. "About Brimir.

"Don't be." She replied. "His experiments backfired on him. They gave me the power to eventually kill him."

She gave him a plate of soft cakes. They had several flavors of fruit and were perfectly sweet. He ate them silently for a little while as he thought about everything that was happening.

"I'll need you training." Saito finally said. "The humans may be at war soon. Louise and I might be able to change the war's outcome."

"Your current abilities are sufficient for dealing with any humans you may face. Besides, it is best to train the girl first. If she can focus her powers, she will be a strong ally to you." She said.

"I understand." Saito said.

They finished eating their snacks a few minutes later. As Saito helped her clean up, he remembered the dream he had before arriving to Sasha's kingdom.

"Hey, if I may ask, where are your sons?" He said.

"They currently reside in the human world." She replied.

"I met them in a dream." He continued.

"Interesting." She said. "They were always fond of dramatic introductions."

"I thought this kingdom was supposed to be for elves." He said. "Or at least, that's the impression I got from them."

"It was originally meant to be for elves." She explained. "However, we soon began taking in those who were survivors of Brimir's genocide. We allowed them to live here. They became so integrated into society, that we just decided to make it a kingdom for all. The term 'kingdom' also seemed to stick, although we have no king."

"I see." Saito responded.

"Would you like a tour of the kingdom?" She said.

"I do not think the people like me." He said. "I doubt it would do any good for you to be seen with me."

"You are probably correct." She replied. "It is getting late anyway. Perhaps you should go back to your fiancé."

"You're probably right." He said.

He stood up and bowed towards her. "Thank you for having me."

"Of course." She said.

He left the cabin and made his way towards Helen's palace. He was in quite a lot of pain, so he could only move about half as fast as he normally could. Still, it took him about an hour to arrive, at which point it had become dark outside.

He slowly made his way upstairs. When he was outside the bedroom door, he heard what to him sounded like screaming. He immediately assumed the worst and ran into the room. However, he found that there was, indeed, screaming. But it was Louise having a pillow fight with the maids. He watched them laughing together, utterly dumbfounded. After a few minutes, Louise noticed him staring at them with a look of disbelief.

"Welcome back, Saito!" She said, smiling at him.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"We were just having fun." She said as she walked towards him.

When she got closer, she noticed that he had several bruises. "What happened to you?" She asked.

"I just sparred with Sasha for a little bit." He said. "I'll be fine."

"That's no good." She said.

She looked at one of the maids she was playing with. "Could you please fetch him some medicine?"

"Right away, ma'am." She said. She quickly left the room, while the other maids wrapped Saito in bandages.

After they all attended to his wounds, they left Saito and Louise alone in their room. Saito laid down on the bed and thought about the day. About what Sasha had said about Louise. He couldn't help but keep staring at her belly.

"Hey Louise." He finally said. "Do you feel strange at all?"

"Strange?" She replied. "Strange how?"

"I don't know." He said. "Does anything feel abnormal or different in any way?"

"I suppose I've been really hungry lately. Why?" She asked.

Saito cursed under his breath when she told him that. "No reason. Just something Sasha told me to look out for."

Louise sat on Saito's lap, seemingly making herself look seductive on purpose. She leaned her lips close to his left ear and spoke in a soft, quiet voice.

"Saito, we're engaged. You don't have to hide anything from me." She said.

The feeling of her breath on his ear made his heart jump. He thought about how he should tell her what Sasha said. After a split second of contemplation, he decided that it would probably be best to just tell her in a straightforward manner.

"Well, you really want to know?" He asked.

"Yeah. How bad can it be?" She said.

"Fine, you asked for it." He said. "She told me that you are pregnant."

His immediate reaction was to turn his face away in fear. He waited for anxiously for her reaction. After about a minute of silence, he looked back at her with a face of confusion and fear. Her face was completely blank.

Saito waited patiently for her to say something. A few seconds later, she suddenly started laughing. Saito was confused. He had expected a much more…violent reaction. She left extremely hard for several minutes until tears began to form in her eyes.

"I thought so…" She finally said.

"What?" Saito replied, both scared and confused. "What do you mean?"

"Helen stopped by earlier and started asking me all sorts of questions." She explained. "She asked me if I could smell things more than usual. If my stomach hurt. If I was very hungry lately. Then she suddenly just told me that…I was."

"They have to be making a mistake…" He said.

He thought silently for a few seconds, then his eyes lit up as he had an idea. "World door!" He suddenly said.

"What?" Louise asked.

"You need to create a world door to my world! We have ways to test pregnancy there!" He said, holding her shoulders.

"I'm not very good at making them yet." She explained. "I've had no time to practice lately"

"Louise, don't you want to know whether or not we'll have a baby?" He asked her. It was probably the only manipulative thing he'd done in his life.

"Okay…" She conceded, after a few moments of thought.

She raised her wand and closed her eyes. Her only thought was of opening a gate to Saito's world. Eventually, a bright oval appeared in front of them. Through it, Saito could see parts of Tokyo that he recognized.

"Keep the portal open." He said as he jumped through it. "I'll be right back."

He wrapped his tail around his waist and covered it with his shirt. He then disappeared into the maze of tall buildings. Louise looked through the portal, enchanted by the various sights, sounds, and smells she was experiencing. In the sky, there was only a single, white moon. All of the buildings shined with flashing colors on large screens. The smell of cars and various food was in the air. She would have jumped in herself, but only about three minutes after leaving, Saito returned.

He was holding several paper boxes with what was, to Louise, strange writing. Saito explained that it was a pregnancy test. If she was pregnant for as long as Sasha had said, then there would be a large chemical change in her body. The test would pick it up and they'd have their answer. He explained to her how the test worked, then handed her the boxes.

"I got several of them so that we'd have a definite answer." He said. "I'll leave you to it."

He left the room and sat on a sofa downstairs. A look of fatigue and defeat was written all over his face. All of the maids arrived before him and bowed.

"We apologize for our disrespect earlier. You look down. Is there something you need?" They all said.

"Don't apologize." He replied. "I'm just tired, that's all. You guys can stop working now. I'll be fine."

"Thank you, master Saito." They said, before giddily running upstairs.

"Please give Louise a few moments." He said to them. "She's um, doing something. You can play with her when she's done."

They all nodded and kept going upstairs. He waited downstairs for several minutes, soon becoming bored.

"Maybe getting twenty tests was overkill." He thought to himself.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Louise came downstairs holding them all in her arms. She laid them down on a table in front of Saito.

"I can't read what it says." She said.

"I probably shouldn't have gotten the ones with screens, huh?" He said to himself.

He picked one up and looked at the little black and white screen that read their result. His face turned white when he read the first one. In bold, Japanese characters, the word 'positive' was written on the little screen. He hastily looked through each and every one of them, and they all looked back at him with the same message.

His face was motionless, with his eyes twitching slightly. Just as Louise was going to ask what they said, he fainted onto the floor. She deduced that this must mean that the tests were positive. She lifted him back onto the sofa, slightly amused at his reaction.

After a few minutes, he woke up. He looked very tired and gazed into nothingness. For several minutes, they were completely silent as he stared up at the roof. Louise started to become quite afraid of what might be going on in his head.

"Saito..?" She finally said. "Are you mad?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds. Eventually, and much to her surprise, he pulled her into a hug. He held her tightly, as if she would somehow disappear and leave him. Eventually, after several minutes, he let her go.

"Sorry." He said. "I'm not mad. I'm really happy."

"I thought you didn't want this." She said.

"It's not that I didn't want it to happen." He explained. "I just didn't want to put both you and a baby in danger. But, I guess I did kind of let this happen."

"I'm glad." Louise said, rubbing her stomach.

Saito put his hand on hers, wanting to feel her belly. They sat together for a long time, feeling a great amount of love for the other. However, their thoughts were entirely different. While Louise was thinking of how she wanted to raise the baby, Saito was thinking about how he was going to protect Louise and now his baby in the coming years. Especially the next few months, due to Germania's threats.

"I want you to stay here if Germania goes to war." He said.

"I'm going to fight with you." She said, stubbornly.

"I can't afford to have you get hurt." He replied.

"I won't get hurt. I promise." She said.

"Sasha wants to help you control your magic." He said. "I think you should let her teach you if you want to fight."

"I understand." She said. "I don't want to be helpless. A mother has to protect her baby, after all."

Saito gave her a kiss and stood up. "I'm going to get stronger too. You don't have to worry." He said. "The maids are waiting. You should play with them."

She nodded and ran upstairs. Saito could hear them chattering together. With more pressure on him now than before, he decided to go on a walk onto one of the frozen lakes. He could see the reflection of the stars on the ice of the lake.

He sat on the ice and looked at the sky. He was happy, of course, that she was pregnant, but it created another set of problems. After he solved Halkeginia's problems, he would have to take her to meet his parents. Explaining that she was pregnant to her own parents would be an ordeal in itself, but telling his own parents could be suicide.

"You're going to be a father, Partner. I'm happy for you." Derf said.

"Thanks." Saito said. "I guess now I have two things to protect."

"It's been nice to see you grow up." Derf said. "I thought you were a total loser when I met you."

"Wow, that makes me feel better." Saito said, sarcastically.

"I'm serious." Derf said. "You've grown into quite the respectable man."

"Thanks." Saito said. "I assume you want to be returned back to Sasha? She's the one who created you and you spent a lot of time with her."

"To be honest, I've thought about it." Derf said. "I suppose I do belong to her, but what would you do without me, eh?"

Saito was silent for a while. "How did Sasha even make you?"

"She used a type of Elven magic." Derf said.

"I see. I really don't want to have to make another weapon." Saito said.

"If I can, I'd rather stay with you." Derf said. "You make life interesting."

Saito looked at Derf's blade. "I still have to figure out where this blade comes from." He said.

"That will have to wait." Derf said. "You have a lot more enemies to use it on before you can start worrying about its backstory."

At this moment, as if on cue, one of Eres's messengers landed in front of him.

"Human, the Council of Representatives has summoned you! Please come with me as fast as you can!" He said.

"As fast as I can, huh?" Saito said. "Sounds serious."

He grabbed the messenger by the collar and, within a few seconds, arrived at the Council's building. The messenger was out of breath and shocked from the experience. Saito left him outside and made his way to the room where he met the four council members. They were sitting in their usual seats, waiting for his arrival. He got on one knee and bowed towards them.

"I was told you wanted to see me." He said, looking at the ground.

"Yes." Sasha said. "We have some news from our scouts in the human world."

"Please tell me." Saito said.

The words she spoke next pierced him like a knife through his heart. He had just experienced the happiest moment in his life with Louise, and now it was followed by news he wasn't expecting to hear this early. He looked up at the council members as he contemplated Sasha's words.

"The humans are at war.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I planned on posting this chapter yesterday and…I forgot. So sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There will probably be one every day for the next week. See you next time! Take care!**


	28. Chapter 28: The Fall of Tristain

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I told you you'd get a chapter every day, so here it is. It took me a little longer to write this one than normal, but I had fun with it so I hope it was worth it. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 28: The Fall of Tristain**

"The humans are at war." Sasha repeated.

"Damn it!" Saito said. "How long has the fighting been going on?"

"Approximately 24 hours." Eres said. "The massive nation you spoke of launched a surprise attack on Tristain. They are already bombarding the capital city. Our scouts in Albion have not returned. North East Gallia is also under attack. Romalia is still safe."

"I see." Saito said. "Then I have to go now."

"Don't be foolish." Sasha said. "You will die if you go now."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" He asked.

Sasha remained silent for a few moments. "If you insist on going, we can leave you close to Tristain's border. However, we will not become involved in this. That is the only assistance you will get from us."

"Fine." Saito said. "I'm going to go and prepare."

"We will see you off when you are done." Helen said.

Saito nodded and ran as fast as he could to Helen's palace. However, when he was about halfway there, he stopped to think. Louise didn't know yet that a war had begun. Now more than ever, he wanted to keep her safe.

At that moment, he decided that he would lie to keep her safe. He went to Helen's palace and found Louise eating cookies in her room. He snuck up on her and hugged her from behind. She gasped slightly, and then melted into his arms.

"Hey Louise, I'm going to be training with Sasha for a while, so I might not be able to come home." He said.

"Do you have to?" She asked.

"I have to protect you two, so I have to." He replied.

"Okay." She said, reluctantly. "Just don't push yourself too hard."

He turned her around and gave her a kiss.

"I love you. Both of you." He said, rubbing her belly.

"We love you too." She said.

He put on his coronation clothes and looked in the mirror. Afterwards, he picked up Derflinger and headed towards the door. He hesitated to leave her, looking back at her as he walked out of the door, then turned away and left to meet with Sasha and the other representatives. On his way there, Derf could not help but think about how Louise was lied to.

"Do you really think that was the best thing to do, Partner?" Derf asked him.

"If I told her the truth, she'd want to come with me. I can't put her in danger." Saito replied as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

"She'll be quite cross with you." Derf said.

"It doesn't matter. Her safety is more important to me." He replied.

He quickly arrived in front of the four representatives, prepared to embark to the human world. They led him through the same series of corridors that he was brought through when he and Louise arrived. Eventually, he found himself in the forest that he found when he arrived in the Kingdom. Sasha began chanting in her language. Soon afterwards, a white portal opened before them.

"This will lead you to the human world." She said. "Good luck."

"Hey, Sasha." Saito said. "I told Louise that I'd be training with you and that's why I'd be gone. When she finds out that that's not true, I need you to keep her here."

"I understand. How very noble of you." She said.

"We must spend more time together when you finish your business." Orlan said.

"Agreed." Eres said. "You're interesting, so we must talk more when you come back."

Saito nodded and looked at Helen. "Thank you for allowing Louise to stay with you."

"She is a lovely girl, so I do not mind." She said.

He took a deep breath and looked at the portal. He pulled Derf from his scabbard and jumped through the portal. When he opened his eyes, he was in the middle of some woods. The portal had disappeared and he was alone with Derf.

"Where to, Partner?" Derf asked.

"I'm going to Gallia's capital, Lutéce." Saito said. "If it's true that Tristania is already under siege, then there isn't anything I can do to help there. I have to speak with either Tabitha or Josette."

"It will take about twelve hours to get there from here." Derf said

"Alright. I guess I better start running." Saito replied.

He ran as fast as he could towards the capital. He made sure to avoid any roads. With his eyes, he could see several groups of Gallian military forces on the roads, making their way north east. From the number of soldiers he saw, a large battle must have been happening, so he picked up his pace on his way to Lutéce.

 **In Tristania**

Germanian military forces marched into the capital of Tristain. Although the majority of Tristain's military might was centered in the city, the Germanian's employed weapons that Tristain military did not recognize.

Henrietta sent a group of mages to intercept and destroy a small group of enemy soldiers. There were about twelve of them in total. As they quietly snuck through the city, they could hear the constant sound of rapid small explosions in other parts of the now burning city. They were bewildered as to what the sounds might be, but continued with their mission.

Eventually, the small platoon spotted their targets. Approximately twenty Germanian soldiers were taking a break in a destroyed café. They appeared to be normal people, but they dressed completely differently than had been seen by any military in Halkeginia. They wore heavy looking, pale green, baggy clothes which had several pockets on them. On their backs, the carried square shaped backpacks. On their heads, they wore pale green, metal, rounded helmets. In their arms, they carried different kinds of metal rods with several attachments, including bayonets. With them was a box of small, cylindrical, pointed metal objects.

"They carry only spears. They do not appear to be mages." One of Henrietta's mages said. "They should be easy to get rid of."

The other mages agreed. From the building they were hiding in, they shot different kinds of magic from their wands. The Germanian soldiers all ran behind different objects to hide behind. They were confused as to what was happening and were asking each other for information in the Germanian language, which sounded almost the same as German.

Soon, however, they noticed where the attacks were coming from. Unfortunately for Henrietta's mages, that was the last time most of them would use magic. The Germanians pointed the open parts of their 'metal rods' at the building where the mages hid. In an instant, the sounds of hundreds of bullets being fired per minute filled the air.

An intense firefight erupted between the two groups. However, it was quite one sided. Within a minute, ten of the twelve mages were either badly wounded or dead. The remaining two mages decided that it was best to retreat. They gathered a few bullets to bring to Henrietta and then used earth magic to silently dig a tunnel that led underground. They grabbed the other mages who were still alive, three in total, and went down the tunnel, making sure to collapse it as they moved.

Eventually, they arrived in Henrietta's palace. They took the three wounded mages to the palace's infirmary and went to Henrietta with the bullets they had collected. She was sitting at a large table with a map spread across it.

"Madame Henrietta!" They said, gasping for breath.

"What happened?!" She asked them.

"We could not defeat them! They carried strange weapons!" One of them said. "They fired these projectiles at us."

He handed her a bullet. She knew immediately that this was a weapon from Saito's world. She examined it for a little while, then looked back at them.

"Where are the rest of your group?" She asked.

"Of the twelve of us you sent, half of us were killed. We have three injured in the infirmary." They answered.

She thought silently for several minutes before looking back at them. "I am ordering the evacuation of the palace and the city. We are to retreat to Gallia and then to Romalia, effective immediately. Spread the word."

They nodded and ran out of the room. Henrietta looked outside at her burning city, feeling a vast amount of fear and, more than that, shame. She clasped her hands together and looked up at the sky, praying for Saito to come back.

 **In Lutéce**

Saito sped through the capital city of Gallia towards the royal palace. The capital was in chaos, as a military draft had been put in place. Young men boarded carriages and were sent on their way to military camps.

He ran past the palace guards and into the palace. He searched throughout the building until he finally found both Tabitha and Josette. They were strategizing over a large map. Both seemed to be in a state of panic. However, when Tabitha saw him, she seemed to feel a sense of relief.

"Where have you been?!" She asked. Her voice was uncharacteristically loud. "We all thought you were dead!"

"Sorry." Saito said. "I came here as fast as I could. Explain the situation to me, please."

Tabitha looked at Josette. "Sister, please introduce yourself."

Josette looked up at Saito. She first looked at his crown, which he made a habit of wearing all the time.

"Greetings, King Hiraga." She said. "I am Josette, Queen Charlotte's twin sister."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Saito said. "I'm sorry to rush things, but I need to know how things are going with the war."

"Germania has launched attacked on north-east Gallia and has invaded Tristain, making their way to the capital." She said. "We have not received word from Queen Henrietta about the status of the capital."

"How can I help you?" Saito asked.

"There is a military stronghold holding off enemy attacks in the east. Would you mind going to assist them?" Tabitha asked. "One more thing. The enemy is using weapons we have not seen before in Halkeginia. Be careful."

"Sure thing." Saito said. "I would like to head to Tristain at some point, though."

"I understand." She said. "While you're there, please check on the Academy. As it is south of Tristania, it will not have been attacked yet."

"Understood." Saito said.

Tabitha handed him a paper with her signature on it, giving him authority to take command of a military force if its leaders are incapacitated. He rolled the paper and put it under his coat. Quickly, he left the city and was soon outside of the city's walls.

"Derf, what's my ETA?" He asked.

"9 hours if you avoid the roads." Derf said.

"That's too long." Saito said as he ran through the forest. "Teleport me."

"I can't just teleport you in that general direction. Who knows what you'll find there." Derf said.

"Fine." Saito said, realizing that blind teleportation was probably a stupid idea.

He sped up his pace as he ran past small villages and towns. He could see several military carriages transporting supplies in the direction he was going, so he followed them, hidden in the woods. After what felt like an eternity to him, deep in the forests of north eastern Gallia, he saw the military fortress that was under siege.

It was starting to become dark, but he could see smoke rising into the sky. He heard the sounds of shouting and fighting, but he was shocked to hear the sound of machine gun fire. He snuck into the fortress and searched for it's commander. Unable to find him, he stopped one of the guards who was running through the corridor and showed him the paper that Tabitha hand given him.

Without question, the guard led Saito deep underground into a bunker, where a man in prestigious looking clothes sat, giving orders to several men at once. He was over six feet tall and had a long, blonde beard and blonde hair that grew to his shoulders. A long scar ran along the length of his left cheek. His eyes were a piercing blue and he spoke in a deep, serious voice. The guard who led Saito into the bunker whispered something into the commander's ear, prompting him to look at Saito. He ordered everyone in the room to leave, save for two other men.

Both looked younger than the commander did, but both seemed like they had seen a lot in their lives. Their faces were downcast, with their eyes devoid of any emotion other than depression and anxiety. When the room was empty, the commander finally spoke to Saito.

"I am General Raphael of the Gallian Imperial Military. What is it that you want? Speak quickly, I do not have time." He said.

"My name is Hiraga Saito. I've been sent by Queen Charlotte and her sister to assist you in defeating the enemy who are currently attacking you." He said.

"How is one boy supposed to-"

The commander stopped short when he started to pay more attention to Saito. He noticed his large fangs when he spoke, bold orange eyes which glowed rather brightly at the moment, and most of all, his long glowing tail that moved freely behind him.

"What the hell are you?" He said.

"That doesn't matter right now. Tell me how the fight has been going." Saito said.

"Henry, Francis, explain the situation to this…thing." The commander said, reluctantly.

"There are approximately five hundred enemy soldiers." Said the one called Henry. He had short brown hair and dark brown eyes. "Normally, five hundred enemies would not be an issue. However, they wear armor and use weapons we have never seen before."

"What kind of armor and weapons?" Saito asked.

"They wear heavy looking, baggy clothes. They also wear different metal helmets on their heads, unlike anything we're used to seeing." Said the one called Francis. He looked rather the same as Henry, although his hair was black and he had a little bit of facial hair. "They carry several weapons. Most of them appear to be metal rods that, when pointed at their enemy, kill them instantly. They also seem to be creating explosions on the battlefield, but we do not know how they are being created. To make matters worse, they have dug themselves into trenches, so we cannot advance."

"I see." Saito said. "Tell your men to withdraw. You can't fight them now. I'll go and deal with the army."

"What are you, stupid?!" Raphael said. "Over one thousand soldiers have died out there! What is one monster like you going to do?!"

Saito pulled out the document he was given by Tabitha. "By order of Queen Charlotte and her sister, princess Josette, I take command of the military forces who occupy this fortress."

Raphael got up from his chair, wanting to argue, but he could not go against the word of the Queen. He sat back down and handed Saito his badge, which signified his superiority over the other soldiers and officers.

"I'm going to where the fighting is." Saito said. "Remain here and try to work out how many are injured or dead."

"Understood." Raphael said, rather angrily.

Saito disappeared from the room. In a few moments, he was outside of the fortress. He could hear the direction that the fighting was coming from, so he quickly went in that direction. Once he arrived, all he saw was two trenches, in between which was a large stretch of land with several of the fortress's mages and foot soldiers lying on the ground, dead.

He ran into the allied trench and looked around. There were several injured men being attended to. The smell of burnt flesh and smoke was in the air. Saito took in a deep breath and yelled at the remaining men to gather around him.

"I am Hiraga Saito! By order of Queen Charlotte, you are now under my command! I and I alone will deal with the enemy forces! In that time, you must retreat from this battle! Understood?!" He said to them.

They all murmured, wondering if Saito was crazy, or whether Queen Charlotte was crazy for appointing him as a commander. Nevertheless, they saluted and prepared to retreat, putting the wounded on stretchers and gathering their weapons.

"Partner," Derf said. "I know you're fast, but even you can't dodge a bullet."

"I'm not fast enough to dodge one, no." Saito said. "But I only have to dodge them if I'm fired at, and even then, I can only be shot if they're fast enough to aim at me."

"So that's your plan, eh?" Derf replied.

"Yeah. I just have to get into their trench. If I can do that, they're finished." He said as he began to walk out of the trench.

One of the enemy soldiers thought he saw a man walk onto the land between the two encampments, but when they blinked, the man was gone. As he let his guard down, he heard a commotion coming from further down the trench.

Saito had arrived in the enemy encampment and begun fighting the enemy soldiers. At that range, they were not able to effectively fire at him. Dozens of men fell in the span of one minute. Preferring not to kill, Saito used his immense strength to knock them out of his way. However, they kept coming back up, ready to fight again.

"Partner, these guys wont stay down!" Derf said.

"I really didn't want to resort to injuring them, but I guess there's no other options." Saito replied.

Pulling Derf from his scabbard, he began cutting down the enemies before him, who tried in a fruitless effort to fight back. As Saito distracted the Germanians, the Gallian soldiers used the opportunity to retreat back to the fortress.

In his bunker, Raphael waited to hear the news that Saito had died. He didn't necessarily want him to die, but he saw his possible death as a victory for his somewhat broken pride. Instead, however, a messenger ran into his bunker, gasping for air.

"You have news?" Raphael said.

"Sir!" The messenger said. "Our men are returning from the battlefield!"

"What?!" Raphael replied with surprise. "And what of Hiraga?!"

"The soldiers who have come back told us that he went alone to fight the enemy! He has given them orders to remain here until he returns!" He replied.

Raphael sat down. "You are dismissed. Assess the number of wounded and dead. Begin medical treatment immediately."

"Yes, sir!" The messenger said as he darted out of the room.

For several hours, Raphael awaited word about Saito. On the fourth hour, he suddenly heard a large cheer from the men upstairs and outside. Curious as to what could be happening, he went upstairs to find out himself. When he got passed the large crowd of men and made it to the front gate, he saw why the men were cheering.

Walking towards the fortress with shining orange eyes and a bright orange glowing tail, his body illuminated by the moons in the sky, was Saito. He was limping from a bullet wound in his right leg, but was otherwise in rather good shape. When he arrived at the gate, the healthy men lifted him into the air. When they noticed his wound, they carried him all the way to the infirmary.

As he sat in bed with his leg wrapped in bandages, Raphael entered the room. He sat down next to Saito and said nothing.

"No apologies are necessary." Saito said.

"I doubted the word of the Queen." Raphael replied.

"I would do the same in your position." Saito chuckled. "Regardless, I give back control of the situation to you."

"Thank you." Raphael said.

"There is one more thing I need you and your men to do though." Saito said. "Go to the battlefield and retrieve all of the enemy's weapons. Send them back to the capital to be looked over. You cannot win this war without weapons of the same amount of power. The weapons are from my world. I don't have the time to explain right now, just make sure they reach Charlotte."

"Understood." Raphael said.

Saito got up and got dressed, much to Raphael's surprise. He grabbed Derf and began to limp towards the door.

"You should stay in bed! You need to rest!" Raphael said.

"I have someone waiting for me at home. Resting here won't help me get back to her faster, so I have to go. Take care!" Saito said with a smile.

Although Saito knew he would probably be completely healed in less than a week, he was still in quite a bit of pain, so he borrowed a dragon from the fortress and sped back towards Gallia's capital. Because the dragon was not like Sylphid was therefore quite a bit slower than Saito himself, it took him an entire day to reach the Lutéce.

When he arrived in Tabitha's palace, the guards began to cheer. As he limped through the halls, several guards saluted him or thanked him for his service to the nation.

"It seems that word of what you did has reached this place already." Derf said.

"Yeah." Saito replied. "That means that it won't be too long before it reaches Albrecht either."

When he limped into Charlotte and Josette's room, they both gave him hugs and kissed his cheeks.

"Thank you so much, Saito!" They both said.

"Please don't thank me. I want to do what I can to help." Saito said. "Is there any word on Tristain."

"Yes." Josette said solemnly. "Tristania has fallen to the Germanians. The members of Tristain's Royal Family have disappeared. We believe they may have escaped."

"And what about King Alex and Queen Shion?" He asked.

"The last we heard of them, they were on the floating Kingdom of Albion. It has not passed over Halkeginia yet, but it will in eight days." Tabitha said.

"Damn it!" Saito said to himself. "What the hell do I do?!"

They sat in silence for a while before Tabitha finally said something.

"Where is Louise?" She asked.

"I can't tell you, but she is safe. I can't let her get involved with this." He replied.

"The void mage may be the only ones capable of pushing back Germania's armies. We need her back." She said.

"Void mage…" Saito said to himself.

For several moments, he kept repeating those words. Eventually, he looked up at Josette and Tabitha.

"I have an idea!"

 **In Vindobona, Germania**

Albrecht sat in his room, sipping white wine. He was looking at a wooden figurine of Brimir that he was holding. As he thought to himself, he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter." He said.

A small, light man with short black hair entered the room. "My lord, I have news of the war."

"Speak." Albrecht said.

"It seems the strategy you read of in that book has worked in Tristain. We have captured the capital." The man said.

"That is, indeed, excellent news." Albrecht said.

"There is another piece of news, sir." The man said. "Approximately 20 hours ago in north-eastern Gallia, one of our companies who was sent to capture a Gallian fortress was completely destroyed."

"What? How?" Albrecht said.

"We do not know. None of the men survived." The man said.

"Tell the other units in the area to look for an orange eyed boy and a pink haired girl traveling together." He said.

"Understood, sir." The man said, leaving Albrecht's room.

"It is only a precaution. It is highly unlikely that he is alive. But even so, it's best to be sure. To get in my way now would be unacceptable. After all, I have already attained one piece of the puzzle." He thought to himself.

He looked at a wall of his bedroom, where a large map of Halkeginia was painted. The nations of Tristain, Gallia, and Albion were painted in red and had strange runes written on them. Albrecht smiled as he drew an X over Tristain with some chalk he had on a table.

"In time, this will all be over."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! As promised, here is today's chapter! I hope you like it! Please send me a PM or review with suggestions, what you'd like to see, or just your thoughts in general. Anyway, thanks for reading and catch you next time!**


	29. Chapter 29: Westwood

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys, I'm keeping my promise to release a chapter per day for a week. This one is coming out a little later than planned, but I'm glad I managed to get it out. Anyway, enjoy chapter 29!**

 **Chapter 29: Westwood**

Louise stared up at the ceiling of her room in Helen's palace. It had been nearly one month since Saito had left to 'train with Sasha'. For the entire time, she hadn't seen either of them, so she assumed that they must be training really hard, somewhere far away.

Over the past few weeks, ever since Saito left, Helen had been adamant that whenever Louise was going to leave the building, she must be informed beforehand. Helen explained that it was for her safety, as she was a human in a world where the majority of people despised humanity.

Still, Louise began to feel claustrophobic in her current circumstances. She also began to feel guilty because she felt like she was doing nothing for the past few weeks. She knew that at any point, Germania could launch an attack on its formerly allied nations. However, any time she asked Helen or one of her messengers about how the human world fared, they would assure her that for the time being, there was peace.

Quickly becoming irritated with having to be with someone other than Saito wherever she went, she rose out of bed and put on some inconspicuous clothes. Quietly, she snuck downstairs and quickly ran out of the door.

With a long hooded coat covering her hair, she made her way to the closest town. The streets were crowded with happy people who were enjoying the sight of falling snow through the tall, variously designed buildings. The smell of different foods filled the air.

As she wandered around, she had to try her best to avoid the massive, winged people, as well as those who were shorter than they were. She noticed that some people seemed to be of mixed race, which fascinated her.

She was having a good time. However, through the crowd she saw a face that she thought was familiar. Shoulder length, white hair gingerly bounced as the person walked through the crowd. Louise walked hastily towards them.

When she was within an arm's length, she pulled on their coat for them to notice her. The person turned around and, just as Louise thought, it was Sasha, looking down at her with her signature bored looking face.

"You're supposed to be with Saito…" Louise said.

"Damn that Helen." Sasha said to herself. "She was supposed to alert me if the girl came out."

Without addressing what Louise had just said, she dragged her out of the city towards her small cabin in the woods. For several minutes, she dragged Louise by her arm, ignoring her countless pleas to be let go. After about an hour, they reached her cabin. Sasha sat down Louise down in a chair and poured them both tea, after which, Louise immediately began to question her.

"Where is Saito?" She asked.

"In the human world." Sasha said, honestly.

"Why?!" Louise asked. "He said he'd be training with you!"

"The day before he left, the humans went to war. He insisted on going." Sasha said as she sipped her tea.

"War?! And he didn't tell me?!" Louise said, enraged.

"He said he didn't want to risk his family." Sasha said. "However, he did give me permission to train you in your void magic."

"I don't have time for that!" Louise said as she got up to leave. "I have to go right now!"

"I'm afraid I cannot let that happen. He asked me to train you and I accepted. Therefore, I will train you." Sasha replied. "As a void mage, you are extremely valuable, so you must be able to fend for yourself."

"I don't care if he asked that of you!" Louise exclaimed. "What if he dies?!"

Sasha sighed, clearly not enjoying this experience. "The ring on your finger indicates your devotion to him, does it not?" She said.

Louise looked at the ring, rubbing it lightly as she nodded.

"The crown on your head indicates your willingness to work with him as well." Sasha said. "Sometimes, you must trust his word and his actions. Leaving you here was a noble act from him. Of course he knows that you possess an immense amount of power, but he had you remain here so you may hone this power to further protect yourself if he is not available. He knows, of course, that he may die in the process, but he believes this to be insignificant as long as you remain safe. Do not insult his wishes by running after him, possibly to both of your deaths."

Louise remained silent as she thought about Sasha's words. According to Saito, he had left her before to fight an army and was later killed. The very thought of having to attend his funeral pulled at her heart more than anything else did.

"The choice is yours." Sasha continued. "If you really wish to stand next to him instead of behind him, and fight alongside him as not only his wife, but his equal and his partner, then you need to stay and train with me."

Louise, defeated by Sasha's words, sat back down in her chair.

"What do you want me to do?" Louise asked.

"For now, just rest. Since you will be training with me, you will be staying here for now. I will inform Helen of this." Sasha replied.

"I understand." Louise said.

She looked down at her ring finger, remembering the day that Saito proposed to her. Countless times, he told her that he would protect her. Whenever he said things like that, it made her feel happy. But now, when she looked back, it made her feel helpless. This feeling of weakness gave her the willpower to stand behind her decision and train with Sasha.

 **In North-Western Gallia**

Saito ran through the forest with Derflinger in his hand. There were no enemies in this region, but he was here looking for someone. Earlier in the month, Saito had explained to Josette that it was imperative that she ask Vittorio of Romalia for his assistance, after which he left in search of the void mage who saved him before, Tiffania.

He was aware that Tiffania was from Albion, but he remembered that when he met her in the forest, she was on the Halkeginian continent rather than the floating island of Albion. From what Derf had told him, when Saito almost died after his fight with the army of 70,000, Derf had teleported him to a forest in western Albion, near the port town of La Rochelle.

He had been searching for weeks, but to no avail. It was a cold, snowy night, and he had been searching for the whole day. Not wanting to risk going into any towns and being spotted, he laid on the ground underneath a large pine tree. Because his body produced a very large amount of heat, he didn't feel cold at all.

He wrapped himself in his clothes, which were now entirely black. He had left his coronation clothes with Tabitha for safekeeping, but refused to take off his crown, as he treasured the fact that Henrietta and the other leaders entrusted him with it. He wore long baggy pants and a matching shirt. Over these clothes, he wore a long, black, fur cloak.

After a few moments, he closed his eyes to rest. Although his eyes were closed, he could not sleep. He sat there for hours, thinking about the war, Louise, and the family he would soon have. As he thought, he felt himself being poked by something.

He instantly opened his eyes, suspecting a soldier. However, instead of the heavily armored man he was expecting to see, he instead saw a beautiful, young, blonde girl with a generous bust. When she saw how his eyes glowed, she stepped back a little in fear.

"You'll freeze if you remain out here." The girl said.

"Tiffa..?" Saito said, confused at first.

She looked at him with a confused expression.

"Tiffania!" Saito finally said when his senses came back to him.

"Y-You know my name?" She asked.

"I need you to come with me to Lutéce quickly!" He said.

"W-Why?" She asked.

"Right now, there is a war going on. You could be really helpful to me and millions of other people." Saito said. "I know this is sudden, but I know you. In fact, I owe my life to you. If you come with me, I can explain everything. I promise that I won't hurt you."

"Why would you want the help of me?" She asked, removing her hat to reveal her ears.

"I don't care that you're a half Elf. I'm not exactly normal, either." Saito said, revealing his fangs and letting his tail fall from its previous position of being wrapped around his waist.

She was extremely surprised to see his long tail, snaking around on the ground behind him. She seemed to be mesmerized by its bright orange glow, which matched the glow of his eyes. However, he soon wrapped back around his waist.

"Do you trust me now?" He asked.

She thought about what options were before her. Her life was not exactly entertaining as it was. If she helped the royal family of Gallia, then perhaps she could return to Albion and live a happy life. With her mind made up, she looked back into Saito's eyes with determination.

"I trust you." She said.

"Great." Saito said.

He picked her up in his arms and looked at the moons, figuring out which way the capital city was. When he figured it out, he began to run in that direction. The speed surprised Tiffania, so much that she quickly became unconscious.

As he ran through the Gallian countryside, he suddenly stopped and looked towards Tristain. With his eyes, he could see a Germanian army of about five thousand slowly making their way into the country. With this dire piece of news, he quickened his pace towards Lutéce.

Within twelve hours, he arrived at the palace, gasping for air. As he walked towards the palace, Tiffania woke up. She was slightly confused as to what was happening, but soon came back to her senses. She looked at her surroundings, noticing how although the city was quite beautiful with its large stone buildings, there was a panic in the air. Soldiers ran through the streets, while civilians were forced to perform drills in case of attack.

As they walked into and through the palace, Tiffania noticed that several of the guards and officers saluted Saito as he walked by them. However, at the same time, they stared at Tiffania. She wondered why, but then realized that her hat was taken off.

"They seem to respect you." She said to Saito.

"I helped a lot of soldiers in the east since I came back from…nevermind." He said. "Don't worry about how they look at you."

"Why are you fighting in this war?" She asked.

"I was wronged by the Germanians." Saito said. "They attempted to kill me, my fiancé, and my friends."

"You are engaged?" She said with surprise. "Even with your oddities?"

"I remained devoted to her from the beginning." Saito said as he came closer to Tabitha's door. "Eventually, I couldn't help but propose to her. I didn't look like this when I proposed, but she still loves me and I love her."

"She sounds like a wonderful person." She replied.

"It must be nice to have so many people who love you and care for you…" Tiffania said, just as Saito was about to open the door to Tabitha's throne room.

He stopped in his tracks when he heard her. A feeling of sadness overcame him, so he turned around and gave her a hug. She was very surprised, but didn't say anything, as she finally felt like someone cared for her for the first time in years.

"I care about you." He said. "I know you've been through a lot, but once this war is over, you can come to me or any of my friends for anything you need."

"Thank you…" She said, happily. "I have one more question though. Why do you wear a crown?"

"Oh." Saito said, looking at the jewel embedded crown on his head. "Shortly before the war, I was made the King of a small country."

"Why is a King fighting on the front lines like you?" She asked him.

"Well, I'm not a normal human. I'll explain all of that to you later. For now, we have to meet Queen Charlotte." He said.

She nodded and looked straight ahead as he pushed the massive doors to the throne room open. Charlotte was with her sister, looking out of a window. When they turned and noticed Saito, they walked towards him to greet the two.

"Hello. I am Queen Charlotte." She said to Tiffania, bowing towards her.

"I am Charlotte's sister, Queen Josette." Josette said, bowing with her sister.

"I-I'm Tiffania Westwood. Pleased to meet you." Tiffa said, bowing low.

Saito thought he noticed a look of jealousy cross the sister's faces as they noticed her tremendous bust. Just as soon as it appeared, their faces returned to normal. When they got up, they examined Tiffa more closely.

"Has Saito informed you of why you were brought here?" Josette asked.

Tiffa shook her head, prompting Josette to look at Saito, wanting him to explain.

"Tiffa, you are capable of using a special kind of magic called Void. You are one of the very few people in the world who are capable of using it. The others being Vittorio of Romalia, Queen Josette who stands before you, and my fiancé, Louise." Saito said.

"Void..?" She said, bewildered.

"Yes." Saito said. "I am the familiar of Louise known as Gandalfr, the Left Hand of God. That's part of the reason why I look the way I do."

"What does Void magic do?" She asked.

"It can do several things." Saito said. "It can open portals, read minds, see into the past. But most importantly for this war, it can cause massive explosions which do a large amount of damage. Among all of the other Void powers, Explosion is the one that can help the most at the moment."

"Why is your fiancé not helping you in this war?" Tiffa asked Saito.

"I left her with…never mind." He said, realizing that he couldn't tell them about the Elves.

"Left her with what?" Tabitha asked. "She is my friend. I want to know of her well being."

"Fine. I will tell you, but you cannot let this be heard by anyone else." Saito said, swayed by the fact that she was Louise's friend. "I left her in the Kingdom of Elves."

Everyone in the room stared at him. "Kingdom of…Elves?" Tiffa said. "The Elves have their own Kingdom?!"

Saito nodded.

"Where is it?" Tabitha asked, calmly.

"I cannot tell you." Saito said. "The Elves and the other races there have no wish to make contact with humanity."

"Other races?" Josette asked.

"I'll explain all of that after the war." Saito said.

"So, why did you leave Louise there?" Tabitha asked.

Saito took a deep breath. "While we were there, I found out that she was pregnant." He said, turning bright red.

Tabitha's eyes widened. Suddenly, she seemed more conniving and childish. She smiled mischievously at Saito, and her voice changed to be more 'normal'.

"So that means you must have…you know?" She said.

"Sylphid must be getting to her…" Saito thought to himself.

"So how many times?" She asked.

"That's beside the point!" Saito said. "The point is, I couldn't let her fight knowing that she was carrying a baby with her. So I didn't tell her that I was leaving. I told her I'd be training elsewhere."

"So that's why you required other Void mage." Josette said.

"I was going to gather them all for…a different reason, but right now, I can't let Louise fight." He said.

"How many Elves were there?!" Tiffa suddenly said.

"Um, a lot, I guess." Saito said.

"I have to see them!" She said.

"Well, I guess I could take you once everything is over." He conceded.

At this moment, Sylphid ran into the room. She was in her human form so that she could easily get into the building.

"Older Sister!" She said, panting. "More enemy forces arriving from Tristain!"

When she spotted Saito, she seemed to take a liking to him, like a dog wood to its master. She was intrigued by his body, but was preoccupied with the invading forces from Tristain as well as the ones invading from the east.

"Have you figured out a way to make weapons like theirs?" Saito asked.

"We have." Josette said. "But we do not have the raw materials to make enough for our military."

"I see." Saito said. "Send a large army to deal with the military in the east. I will find a way to deal with those from Tristain."

"How are you going to fight them?" Tabitha asked, returning to her normally reserved demeanor.

"I'll figure something out." He said as he began to leave the room. "Make sure Tiffa stays comfortable."

He left the room, wondering even to himself what he was going to do. He thought about his options and decided that a direct confrontation was too risky. He had guessed that at least 5,000 enemy soldiers all armed with guns were slowly making their way towards the capital, so the best solution was to take them down indirectly.

However, he faced the dilemma of not having the power to take out that many enemies at once. Perhaps if Louise was with him, it could be possible. But as it was, he would have to find another way.

 **In Sasha's Cabin**

Louise opened her eyes. Daylight was beginning to shine on the snow covered ground outside. Today was the day she would have to begin her training with Sasha, who was outside chopping wood with an axe.

Louise got dressed in a long sleeved shirt, long white pants, and quite heavy boots. They seemed to be clothes meant for a man, but they would serve their purpose. She walked outside to Sasha, who looked up at her, waiting for her to speak.

"I am ready to begin my training." Louise said, boldly.

"I see." Sasha replied.

She got up and dusted the snow off of her clothing. "The first thing you must do is strengthen your fragile body." She said. "If your body is strong, it will be able to handle the strain that void magic places on it."

"I understand." Louise said.

She was slightly frightened at the prospect of doing harsh training with someone as seemingly cold as Sasha, but she remained steadfast and waited for her instructions.

"You seem mentally prepared, at the very least." Sasha said. "For as long as your fiancé remains at war, we will continue our training. Are you ready?"

"I am ready." Louise said.

"Very well." Sasha replied. "Follow me into the woods. We will not be staying in a warm home for a very long time, so prepare yourself."

Only picking up her axe, which Louise noticed Sasha always carried on her back, and a long green cloak, Sasha began walking into the dense forest. Louise was very hesitant at first. If she started walking, there would be no turning back if it became too difficult. However, spurred on by the thought of how hard Saito must be working at the moment, she stepped forward with Sasha.

"Just wait Saito." She thought to herself. "I'll be much stronger when you return."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First off, I know there was no chapter yesterday, and the simple reason is…I just forgot to post it (this was supposed to come out yesterday). Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm really happy with the support I've been getting. Whether it be views, visitors, or reviews, it really helps me keep going, so thank you! I promise I'll get a chapter out tomorrow, so just hold on until then. Thanks for reading guys! Until next time!**


	30. Chapter 30: Victory is Defeat

**Author's Notes:**

 **What's up guys! I started writing this chapter a little late in the day because life stuff. Either way, I was determined to keep my promise and get it out today, so here it is! Enjoy chapter 30!**

 **Chapter 30: Victory is Defeat**

It was bitterly cold and snow was falling heavily on the forest floor. Saito crouched on the branch of a tall tree, overlooking a massive Germanian army. He counted approximately 5,000 of them in total. Normally, with his enhanced body, he would try to take them all on. However, these soldiers carried weapons from Saito's world, albeit not very modern. Saito recognized a few of the weapons from his history books.

He identified a Type 96 Japanese Light Machine Gun, Type 89 Japanese machine gun, as well as several rifles and pistols. The army carried several crates of ammunition and explosive weapons with them. At the time, they were taking a break from their march and were making camp in the forest beneath Saito.

"Any ideas on how we can kill them, Derf?" Saito asked.

"Kill them? That's not something I thought I'd hear you say." Derf replied.

"Well, I'm a soldier now, I guess." Saito replied. "Besides, they're threatening my family. I'll do what I must to protect them."

"You're becoming manlier every day." Derf said, feeling proud of Saito.

"Never mind that." Saito replied, feeling embarrassed. "Any ideas?"

"Well, from what you've told me, there's no way you could take them head on." Derf said. "If they use explosives, perhaps you could find a way to blow them up?"

"I doubt that will kill all of them." Saito said. "That does give me an idea though. Maybe we should start a fire."

"A fire?" Derf asked.

"Yeah." Saito replied. "A forest fire. If I can steal some of those explosives and bullets, I could make a ring around this forest and start a forest fire."

"Ambitious isn't it?" Derf asked.

"Well, there isn't really much else we can do." Saito replied. "We can't bring any Gallian soldiers here to help us. It would be a bloodbath. It's up to us."

Derf was silent for a few moments. The two of them observed as the Germanians stored some of their ammunition and explosives in a large tent.

"I suppose I could get you in there." Derf said. "I should probably start preparing."

"Preparing?" Derf asked.

"The forest won't catch fire without some help." Saito said.

He got up and ran through the trees. For hours, he circled around the army, trying to find out exactly where he should place the explosives. Once he had figured out the precise area where the Germanians were resting, he went around them again, this time laying dry leaves in a circle around them. After he was finished, he went back to the tree he was watching the army from.

"Okay, Derf. Let's go." He said.

"Got it." Derf said.

Saito closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he was standing next to a large pile of wooden boxes. They each had words written on them in Germanian, which Saito couldn't read.

"We just have to take a few of these. Ten or so boxes should be enough." Saito said.

He stacked the boxes, carrying 2 in each arm and three in his tail. Once he secured them, Derf teleported him outside of the tent to a small clearing away from the soldiers. They repeated this several times until they procured about 12 boxes from the tent.

Saito set them each on piles of dry wood he had put next to trees in different points surrounding the Germanian soldiers. When they were all in place, he quickly moved between each of them, using his body heat to ignite the piles of wood they sat on.

Soon enough, the piles of wood caught fire, and Saito retreated to a safe distance. He watched as the boxes of munition exploded, showering hot material further towards the soldiers direction and setting everything ablaze. It took about thirty minutes before the fires were visible to the Germanians. Before long, the soldiers realized what was happening, as they saw a wall of orange light and smoke coming from one direction.

They're immediate reaction was to, obviously, make haste in the other direction. However, there was fire coming from all around them. The smoke had already reached their location, and had started to make some men feel sick.

The Germanians, in a panic, did what they could to stop themselves inhaling smoke. However, because of their blind state of panic, Saito managed to easily infiltrate their munitions tent again. Using a smoldering wooden stick he had brought with him, he set the tent on fire and quickly left.

Before long, the fire in the tent triggered a massive explosion, killing and injuring hundreds of men. Saito watched from afar as several men succumbed to the fire and smoke that was now bearing down on them.

His heart ached with sorrow, regret, and pain as he watched the men dying in front of him from something he caused. As he heard the panicked screams of the thousands of men caught within the fire, tears began to flow from his eyes.

However, as much as he wanted to, he could not leave because he had to make sure that the army would not be a threat to Gallia anymore. For several hours, he watched, hearing the screams of men burning and suffocating.

"You shouldn't have to see this, Partner…" Derf said, seeing the expression of sadness on Saito's face.

"I have to." Saito said. "I have friends and family to protect."

"How long will the fire keep burning?" Derf asked.

"There will be a heavy storm coming in this direction." Saito replied, still sounding depressed. "It will rain enough for the humidity in the air to go up, so the fire wont spread. This place is also in a valley. The rains will bring flooding to the area, which should put it out by tomorrow night."

"You planned all of this out, huh?" Derf replied.

"Yeah." Saito said, closing his eyes. At this point, Derf couldn't hear or see anything that was going on where the Germanians had camped and were now burning. With his heightened senses, however, Saito could hear, see, and smell everything that was happening vividly. He could even taste the smoke in the air.

They waited there for several hours until eventually, just as Saito had predicted, the two of them could see heavy rain cloud coming over the valley. Before long, a downpour began. For another several hours, it rained heavily without letting up. Through the harsh rain and cold, Saito remained perched on the branch of his tree, waiting for the rain to go away.

Throughout the next day, it continued to rain until finally, when darkness had fallen, the clouds dispersed. The fire had completely gone away, leaving only a few smoldering sticks and some smoke in the air.

In the blink of an eye, Saito went down to where the enemy soldiers were. As soon as he arrived, he collapsed from a sensory overload. Several burnt, disfigured, charred bodies lay on the ground, smoldering. The sound of sizzling flesh was clear in his ears. But perhaps worst of all was the smell. He could smell several terrible things in the air, from burning humans to gunpowder.

However, he at least managed to confirm that the army was no longer a threat, as they all seemed to be dead. With his mission over, he prepared to leave. However, before he did, he went to each body he could find and took the badges from them that identified their names. He put all of the badges into a large cloth sack, then departed from the foul area, making his way to Lutéce to report his successful mission to Charlotte and Josette.

 **Somewhere in the vast wilderness of the Kingdom of Elves**

Sasha and Louise sat in some dark woods around a campfire. Sasha had spent the past few days forcing Louise to do various forms of exercise, from lifting heavy objects to running long distances. Because of doing all of these things without a break, she was in a lot of pain.

However, her own pain wasn't what was on her mind. Throughout her training, all she could think of was Saito's well being. It was the first time since they were engaged that she had been away from him for so long. To make matters worse, she was well aware that he was fighting a war, so for all she knew, he might have been dead already.

"Worrying about his well being is a good thing." Sasha suddenly said. "It gives you a reason to keep going."

"I don't feel like I'm getting any stronger." Louise said, feeling discouraged.

"You are." Sasha replied. "You'll see it in due course."

"When will you teach me to control void magic?" Louise asked her.

"Once your body is ready for it." Sasha replied. "When that is will depend on how hard you want to protect those who are close to you."

"I want to protect them more than anything!" Louise declared, rather impulsively.

"Well then, it will not be very long." Sasha said, slightly smiling. "As long as you remain resolute in what you believe, you will be ready before you know it."

"Thank you." Louise said. After a few moments, another question popped into her head.

"Ms. Sasha, may I ask you a few questions?" Louise asked.

"Ask as many as you wish. I will answer them as best as I can." Sasha replied.

"Well, I wanted to know about your sons. Where are they?" She asked.

"My sons are in the human world." Sasha replied, looking at the night sky. "No human is aware of who they really are."

"Why do they not help in the war, then?" Louise asked.

"They want to help, but they have not the influence in the world that they used to." Sasha said. "Because of my son's status as half human and half Elf, they believed that humans should govern themselves rather than them, who were only half human. So, they relinquished their powers and disappeared into the world, appointing human heirs to the thrones."

"I see. So did you ask them to bring Saito here?" Louise replied.

"No. They brought him here of their own free will. I had no knowledge of your fiancé's existence until he arrived here." Sasha said. "Now, what are your other questions?"

"Um…your relationship with Brimir…" Louise said, timidly.

"He was an evil man who deceived me." Sasha said, sounding very angry, yet calm.

"Do you…hate humans because of him?" Louise asked.

"For a long time, I never trusted humans." Sasha replied. "However, with age, I realized that not every human is like he was, so I have become neutral. I judge a person not by their race, but by who they are inside. It's wisdom that took a long time to come to me because of how scarred I was from what Brimir did."

"Thanks for telling me those things. I know it must be hard to think about." Louise said.

"It's good to have someone to tell them to." Sasha said, smiling at Louise slightly more than before. "Tell me. What is Saito's relationship with Gandalfr?"

"With Gandalfr?" Louise asked. "I suppose they are on good terms."

"So you've seen him?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah. He's friendly." Louise said.

Sasha smiled brightly now, looking back at the star filled sky. "He always had a soft spot for cute people like you."

"I assume you got to know him?" Louise asked.

"Yes." Sasha said. "It took a long time for him to finally get past threatening me to holding an actual conversation, but we eventually became friends."

"Sasha, I have one more question." Louise said, as another thought crossed her mind.

"What is it, Louise?" Sasha asked. It was the first time she actually called Louise by her name, which made Louise feel a little happy.

"Saito merged with the Gandalfr from this world." Louise began. "Will that…affect the baby?"

"Perhaps the baby will be different, but I see no reason for any harm to come to it." Sasha replied. "It will be more than two years before it is born, so now is not the time to worry."

"I see…" Louise said, rubbing her stomach.

"Let's continue training." Sasha said, standing up. She obviously wanted to distract Louise from her thoughts. She pointed at a mountain in the distance. It was at least 30 kilometers away. "Run to that mountain and back with 48 hours."

"What?! That's impossible!" Louise said.

"Your fiancé can do it in less than an hour if he goes slowly." Sasha said. "If you want to stand by his side, I suggest you start bringing your time down."

Rather angrily, Louise complied and began the long journey to the mountain. As she watched Louise run away, Sasha sat down and looked up at the sky with a smile.

"Your wife is catching up to you, Saito. You better be alive to meet her." She said.

 **In Lutéce**

Saito arrived inside the Gallian royal palace. Begrudgingly, he made his way to Charlotte and Josette's throne room, ready to deliver his report. When he walked into the room, both of the sisters seemed unusually happy, which made Saito feel unsettled.

"Welcome back!" They said. "How went your mission?"

"My mission was successful. The army is destroyed." Saito said with a hint of sadness lingering in his voice. "How went the battle in the east?"

"We were successful in driving them back. We have taken quite a substantial amount of our land back." Josette said. "We have also recovered several of the enemy's weapons from the battlefield."

"Nice work." Saito said. "I'll have a company go to where I encountered the army and recover their weapons."

"I will have the army prepare to be sent to your destination." Josette said.

"One more thing." Saito replied. He put the bag of identification badges on the ground. "I'd like you to keep these somewhere safe. Just until the war ends, then I'll take care of it."

"Very well." Josette replied, having a guard take the bag to a vault.

"Thank you for you work in helping Gallia." Charlotte said. "We'll make sure to reward you when we win the war."

"Thank you very much, Queen Charlotte." Saito said. "Sorry to ask, but why do you two seem unusually happy?"

"We received a visitor today. That is all." Josette said.

"I see." Saito replied, although he wasn't satisfied with that answer. "How is Tiffa doing?"

"She is currently with our mages learning about how to summon a familiar." Charlotte said.

"And what about Romalia?" Saito asked.

"They have agreed to help us fight. The Pope will be visiting us within the week." Josette replied

"Good." Saito said. "Pardon me, but would you mind if I rested for some time?"

"By all means. You've earned it." Charlotte said. "But before you do, we would like you to meet our guest."

She pointed behind Saito. When he turned around, he was greeted by two familiar faces. Agnes and Henrietta.

 **In Vindobona**

Albrecht sat at a table with three Generals. They were discussing the recent Gallian victory in eastern Gallia. As they spoke a messenger came into the door.

"Sir! I have news!" He said.

"Speak." Albrecht said.

"The company of soldiers from Tristain who were to attack Lutéce has been destroyed!" The messenger said.

"What?! How is that possible?!" Albrecht said.

"One of the soldiers who escaped the attack was flown here to the palace. I thought you may wish to speak with him." The messenger replied.

"Send him in. Immediately." Albrecht said, angrily stirring the wine in his cup.

After waiting for a few moments, a man was brought into the room in a wheel chair. He had severe burn wounds to his body and neck. His wounds were so gruesome, that the three Generals who sat at the table had to look away.

"State your name." Albrecht said.

"Heinrich Koffman." The man said, weakly.

"Please explain to me what happened." Albrecht said, politely.

"Yes, sir." Koffman said. "We marched through the Gallian forest for about three days, making our way to Lutéce. We were ahead of schedule, so our commanding officers allowed us to rest in the woods. That night, as we talked to each other and ate some dinner, we caught the smell of smoke in the air. Soon enough, the smoke became very thick and we could see flames coming through the trees. We decided to gather our things and run, but there was fire in every direction, as if someone had placed a ring of fire around us."

"So this forest fire was not of natural causes…" Albrecht said.

Koffman shook his head. "No sir. Soon enough, a lot of our men were burning or had collapsed from suffocation. I was one of the ones who succumbed to the smoke. When I woke up, I had burns all over my body. I tried to crawl, but then I heard footsteps. I remained completely still. Didn't make a sound. I felt like my heart even stopped. I felt someone walk past me. When I could see them in front of me, they were…"

"They were what?" Albrecht asked.

"They were not human." Koffman said, making sure he emphasized how serious he was.

"What did they look like?" Albrecht asked.

"They had black hair and glowing orange eyes. Had really long fangs in its mouth too. It also had a uh…a long, glowing, orange tail and it carried a sword on its back. When it was holding the sword, some writing on its left hand started to glow. The sword had a white blade with strange writing carved into it. It started taking our identification badges away, then it left in the blink of an eye. It moved faster than any dragon I've ever seen. When it was gone, I crawled around, looking for survivors. Of the entire company, only two of us survived. I dragged him all the way to the border of the Tristain territory. We were picked up by medics when we got there."

"So it's him." Albrecht said to himself.

"Sir?" Koffman said, confused by what he could have meant.

"Never mind. You have provided an excellent service to your nation. I will make sure you are highly rewarded for your heroism." Albrecht said, patting Koffman's shoulder. "For now, please go and rest in the medical ward of the palace."

"Thank you, sir." Koffman said, as he was wheeled away to the infirmary.

When he was gone, Albrecht then ordered all but one of the Generals in the room to leave. The one who remained was a tall, dark skinned man with dark red hair. He had a glossy, dark red beard and a handlebar mustache of the same color.

"Your daughter failed." Albrecht said when the room was empty.

Kirche's father said nothing out of fear.

"You are very lucky that we've been having success, otherwise I would have both of your heads. Leave this room." Albrecht said, his calm voice filled with rage.

"Yes, sir." General Zerbst said, leaving the room soon afterwards.

He thought rapidly as he hurridly made his way out of the palace. Albrecht seemed unbelievably livid, so he was not sure if he would keep to his word, sparing him and his daughter. With that thought in mind, he immediately got into a carriage, determined to find his daughter and hide her away from Albrecht.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Wow, I barely made the deadline today. I should really get into the habit of writing earlier in the day than 6 pm. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Another one will be out tomorrow! Send a review or pm to me with thoughts about this chapter and future ones! Thanks for reading, guys! See you next time!**


	31. Chapter 31: Mariel

**Author's Notes:**

 **Yet again, this chapter was late. On the upside, we got past 100,000 words! Thanks for motivating me to go this far guys! I really enjoyed the experience, and I never thought I'd get to 100,000 words so quickly. Thanks a lot!. Anyway, thanks for listening to my excuses. Enjoy chapter 31!**

 **Chapter 31: Mariel**

Louise was cold and tired. She had been walking towards a large mountain for 36 hours, meaning she only had 12 hours to return to Sasha. Because that would clearly be impossible, she decided to make a small camp at the base of the mountain.

Using what she had been taught by Saito and Sasha over the past few months, she decided to try and make a small shelter for herself. However, the area she was in consisted tall pine trees. The branches were far out of reach and, by Sasha's orders, she was prohibited from using magic to assist herself. Feeling quite helpless, she decided to venture higher up the mountain in search of a cave where she could be safe from the weather.

For several more hours, she went higher up the mountain in search of a cave. Eventually, when snow had begun to fall heavily onto the forest, she found a deep cave. Realizing that she had no other option but to stay there, she laid down on the ground inside of the cave and soon fell asleep.

She dreamt of living with Saito and a little girl in their palace. However, she couldn't quite make out the details of the girl. As she lived happily in her dream until suddenly, the scenery changed to a cold pine forest that was lit up in fire.

She saw thousands of strangely dressed men dying in the fire. In the trees, she saw a being with a glowing orange tail and glowing orange eyes. It looked very sad and depressed. Suddenly, it looked in her direction, at which point she woke up.

As she opened her eyes, she realized that she was in an unfamiliar environment. She was laying on a thatch bed in a small room with stone walls and a stone roof. Not knowing where she was, she pulled a small dagger from underneath her cloak, and then got up to explore the area.

A door on the side of the room led into a hallway, at the end of which was a larger room with wooden furnishings. On one of the wooden chairs sat a woman. Louise couldn't tell what her age might be. All she could see was that she had long, silky, black hair that had a slightly purple hue.

Louise decided to sneak up behind the person, holding her dagger in her hand just in case. As she was about one foot away, the person yawned and then spoke directly to Louise.

"How are you? Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"I suppose." Louise replied, jumping back in fear. "Who are you?"

"Oh, that's not important." The person replied.

She stood up and turned around to look at Louise. She was slightly taller than Saito. Her face looked young, with smooth skin and bright, emerald colored eyes. She emitted an aura of happiness and warmth, and seemed to glow as if she were some divine being. She went to a small box in the room, from which she took a tea set and cakes. She laid them out on the table, then beckoned for Louise to sit with her.

"You must be hungry." She said.

Louise didn't argue, even if she wanted to.

"What's your name?" The woman asked.

"Louise de la Valliére." Louise replied as she took one of the cakes. "What is yours?"

"Mariel de la Forêt." She replied. "Pleased to meet you."

"Why do you live inside a mountain?" Louise asked.

"I only live here during the winter." Mariel replied. "The heart of this mountain keeps the inside warm."

"Heart?" Louise asked.

"I'll explain later. I do have questions for you, however." Mariel said. "Why did you come to this mountain? If that weren't enough, what is a human doing in this place?"

"Oh. You are an Elf?" Louise asked.

"Indeed." Mariel said, brushing aside her hair to reveal her ears, which were more swept back than a normal Elf's.

"Me and my fiancé came here a little more than a month ago." Louise said.

"Are you of royal decent in the human world?" Mariel asked, taking notice of the crown on Louise's head.

"I was recently made a Queen. I am also the crown princess of Tristain." Louise replied.

"Ahh, Tristain!" Mariel exclaimed. "I haven't been there since it was founded! How is it?!"

"Well, it was fine for the time being when we came to this kingdom, but a large country went to war with it shortly after we arrived here." Louise explained. "When he heard of the war, he went to fight, but he never told me."

"What a brave man!" Mariel said. "So humans are still capable of such noble deeds! All to save his pregnant wife! If only I could find a man like that!"

"How did you know I was-?" Louise began.

"I can see it with these old eyes of mine." Mariel said.

Louise noticed that her emerald eyes did seem to glow, but she thought it was an effect of the several lamps in the room.

"You can see it?" Louise asked.

"Yep. Clear as day." Mariel said. "It's quite the strange baby too. Is your fiancé completely human?"

"You're awfully observant." Louise said, taking another cake. "He _was_ entirely human, but certain things changed him."

"It must be quite the drastic change to have a baby that looks like that." Mariel said.

"How are you seeing the baby? It hasn't even formed yet?" Louise asked.

"Like I said, these old eyes of mine can see many things." Mariel said. "I assume you must have had a strange dream when you came here."

"Y-Yes." Louise said.

"I figured." Mariel said. "So, back to my first question. Why did you come here?"

"I am training under a person named Sasha. I want to be able to stand by my fiancé rather than behind him, always relying on his strength." Louise said. "As part of her training, Sasha said I had to run to this mountain and back to her in 48 hours, but I've already failed."

"Sounds like something Sasha would do." Mariel said.

"You know her?" Louise asked.

"Of course. She is my little sister, after all." Mariel said.

"You're her sister?!" Louise exclaimed. "I guess you do have the same eyes. And you kind of look alike too."

"Sasha never intended for you to return in 48 hours." Mariel said. "She knows I come here in the winter, so she probably wanted you to see me."

"Why would she want me to see you?" Louise asked.

"What kind of training are you doing, exactly?" Mariel asked in return.

"Right now, Sasha wants me to strengthen my body." Louise replied.

"And after that?" Mariel asked.

"She's going to help me control my magic." Louise said.

"The only magic Sasha can use is nature magic, although she doesn't have particularly great control over her own reserves of power." Mariel said. "Is she teaching you about nature magic?"

"Not exactly." Louise said. "She's teaching me to use Void magic."

"You can use void magic?" Mariel asked. "No wonder she sent you here. Your body definitely needs strengthening to be able to control it like 'he' could."

"He? You mean Brimir?" Louise asked.

"I mean the devil." Mariel replied, disgusted to hear Brimir's name spoken. "However, strengthening your body to such a level cannot be done through simply running or lifting heavy things, although that has surely helped you thus far."

"How else can I do it?" Louise asked.

"Through magic, of course." Mariel said. "I will help you, so don't worry. You'll be really strong in no time!"

Mariel laughed heartily, making Louise feel somewhat afraid. However, deep down, she knew that Mariel was right. No amount of physical exercise would ever get a normal human to Saito's level. Magic was, indeed, the only way. Besides, as much as she would hate to admit it, Louise took a liking to Mariel. She reminded her of a strange mix of Cattleya and Éléonore, although whether that was a good thing or not, she was not sure.

 **In Charlotte's Palace**

Saito hugged Henrietta and Agnés tightly in his arms. Finally letting go, he noticed how well disguised they were in plebian clothes. Had he not been familiar with them, he would have never known who they were.

"Thank god you're alive." Saito said, as he sat on the ground feeling exhausted.

"It's good to see you too, Saito." Henrietta said.

Saito looked up and noticed that Agnés had an abdominal wound wrapped in bandages.

"What happened?" He asked.

"On our escape from the Palace, one of Germania's soldiers who stormed the palace pointed their weapon at me." Agnés said. "There was a bang and then I felt pain in my stomach. We managed to evade them and survive."

Saito walked up to her and put his hand over the wound. His eyes, tail, and the runes on his arm began to glow. Steam rose from Agnés' wound. After a few minutes, he moved his hand away and asked her to remove her bandages. When she did, she was shocked to see that her wound was completely healed. She looked back up to thank Saito, but he had fallen onto the ground from exhaustion.

"Sorry." He said. "I know you just got here, but I really need to rest."

"Don't worry about that." Henrietta said.

Refusing for them to help him, he slowly got up and made his way to a room that was set aside for him. He dropped onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"How long do you think this war will last, Derf?" He said.

"Who knows?" Derf replied. "It depends on how long it takes to kill Albrecht, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. I could do it myself, but there's no way I could get past all of his defenses if they have weapons from my world." Saito said. "If they were using swords and mages, it wouldn't be difficult. How the hell did Albrecht even know how to build these weapons?"

"Someone from your world must have told them at some point." Derf replied.

"I need this to end quickly." Saito told him, looking at his hands. "There's already too much blood on my hands. I don't want to be a father who has to tell their kid that he killed so many people."

"It has to be done." Derf replied. "Not only for your family, but for the rest of your friends."

"I know." Saito said. "But didn't those thousands of soldiers have family and friends they thought were important enough to die for?"

"For their sake, you have to end this war quickly." Derf replied.

"I don't even know how I'm supposed to do that…" Saito said, slowly falling asleep.

"I'm sure it'll come to you, Partner. Sleep well." Derf said.

Saito soon fell asleep. The events over the past month had stressed him out so much that he was unable to sleep during that time. This was the first time he had the opportunity to get proper rest.

However, almost immediately, he woke up in front of the giant monster that slept inside of him, Gandalfr. He was staring down at Saito, as if expecting him to say something. His prediction was proven right moments later.

"What should I do?" Saito asked.

"Do what you must." Gandalfr replied. "Your wife is working hard, so you should as well."

"What do you mean?" Saito asked.

"As we speak, the girl is working hard so that she will no longer have to rely on your strength. She wants to be there to support you, rather than being a burden." Gandalfr said.

"How the hell could you possibly know that?" Saito replied.

"Part of me dwells inside her for the time being. Thanks to you, of course." Gandalfr said.

When Saito realized what he meant, he turned bright red. "So you can watch over her?" Saito asked.

"If need be, yes." Gandalfr replied, stretching his limbs as he looked down at Saito.

Saito felt much better, knowing that at the very least, Louise was still safe. Because he was in a better mood, he decided to tease Gandalfr.

"So, did you ever have someone you liked?" He asked.

"What kind of preposterous question is that?" Gandalfr replied.

"Come on. You've been alive for a while. I'm sure there was a special someone." Saito said. "I mean, you're a male, so that means that there has to be a female somewhere, right?"

"You're a funny one, boy." Gandalfr said. "I have no knowledge of any females of my kind. In fact, the only ones of my kind that I am aware of are myself and my brothers."

"Can't you remember your parents at all?" Saito asked.

"I'm not even sure if I have parents. My brothers have no clue either about how we came to be." Gandalfr replied.

"Would you prefer to have parents?" Saito asked.

Gandalfr was silent for a few moments, then laid on the ground, curling his tail around himself.

"Go and sleep, boy." He said.

Saito thought that he sensed hurt in his voice, but chose to leave him be. He closed his eyes and fell truly asleep.

 **In Mariel's mountain**

Mariel led Louise deeper into the mountain. For hours, they walked continuously until they eventually reached a small room. Inside was a metal table, a bookshelf filled with books written in a variety of languages, as well as several bottles of strange looking liquids.

"What is this place?" Louise asked.

"This is the room where the devil would conduct his experiments on Sasha and I." Mariel said.

"He did it to you too?" Louise asked.

"Yes. I was the first one he tried to conduct experiments on, but he deemed me unfit for what he intended, so he cast me aside." Mariel explained.

"So what are we doing here?" Louise asked, trying her best to avoid prying into Mariel's past.

"As I told you before, we're going to use magic to make your body stronger." Mariel said.

"How?" Louise asked.

"We're going to mimic the operations that the devil did on Sasha and I." Mariel said as she gathered several books and liquids from the bookshelf and cabinets in the room.

"What?! What if that kills me?!" Louise asked.

"Well, it will hurt, but it won't kill you." Mariel said. "The devil's experiments were crude and incomplete. I have revised them, smoothed them out, strengthened them, and perfected them in the thousands of years since his death."

"I don't know about this…" Louise said. "I mean, I hardly know you."

"If it is a matter of trust, would you like me to bring my little sister here to verify my identity?" Mariel asked.

Louie was silent for a little while, then nodded her head. Mariel smiled and left the room. She was gone for about 3 hours. During this time, Louise thought about how Saito might be doing in the war, but she quickly stopped thinking about it, as it made her feel fear. When Mariel came back, Louise was rather surprised to see her dragging Sasha roughly into the room.

"Let go of me, older sister." Sasha said, irritated but calm.

"I'm just happy to see my little sis!" Mariel replied.

Eventually, after teasing her a little more, Mariel let go of Sasha. She looked back at Louise, her face beaming with happiness.

"I told you she was my little sister, didn't I?" Mariel said.

"I'm only two years younger." Sasha said.

"Two and a half years." Mariel said. "Either way, now I've proven that you can trust me, right?"

"I suppose." Louise said. "Sasha, did you plan this?"

Sasha simply turned away, which Louise took as a yes.

"How long will this take?" Louise asked.

"Anywhere from 12 to 72 hours." Mariel replied.

"72 hours of pain…" Louise said to herself.

"I can give you a medicine that will make you sleep, but it will only last for twelve hours, so I suggest you use it later in the procedure." Mariel said. "Of course, if you're lucky, you might pass out during the procedure. Cross your fingers."

Louise was hesitant to do what Mariel asked of her. After all, she had experienced several hours of torture under Cromwell. However, the thought of protecting Saito for once instead of him protecting her gave her the confidence to comply.

As directed, she removed her clothes and laid down on the cold metal table. Sasha sat next to her and held her hand.

"What are you doing?" Louise asked.

"Neither my sister or myself had someone there for us when this happened, so I will be here for you." She said. She looked away, clearly embarrassed.

"Thank you, Sasha." Louise said.

Mariel rubbed a strange, light pink gel on Louise's body. Her body seemed to quickly absorb it, which hurt slightly. After this, Mariel put several sharp needles into various points on Louise's body. The needles themselves didn't hurt because they were thing and very sharp. When the hundreds of needles were all in their respective position, she put her hands over her body. At first, nothing happened. Suddenly, however, Louise felt a sharp and intense pain everywhere on her body, making her scream.

This pain would continued off and on, but not for 72 hours as Mariel said, but for the next 144 hours. However, as Mariel said, Louise became unconscious after the third hour. Sasha looked at her unconscious face with sadness and concern.

"You're a strong girl." She said. "Your husband will be proud."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Welp, this came out much later than expected. I'm sorry. Life just didn't want you guys to get a chapter yesterday. It was also quite a bit shorter than expected, but I'm happy with how it came out. Anyways, leave a review or send a PM guys! It helps me know what to add or remove to the story. If you want to make a difference, please let me know what you like and dislike. See you next time!**


	32. Chapter 32: Louise's Awakening

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey there, guys! It took me a while to get around to writing this chapter. Not because I didn't want to, of course, I just had to work on another story I'm trying to create. The first chapter of it should be coming out some time this week on . I would have put it on , but it's not a fanfiction so it wouldn't be appropriate. With that out of the way, enjoy chapter 32!**

 **Chapter 32: Louise's Awakening**

Louise's eyes slowly cracked open. She could hardly remember what happened before falling unconscious. She was in a soft fluffy bed that sat at the end of a cozy and warm room. She tried to move her head a little to look around, but as soon as she did, a strong sharp pain shot through her body.

Realizing that she was in too bad of a condition to move, she remained completely still. However, she noticed that someone was holding her hand. She managed to move her head just enough so that her eyes could see who it was.

Sitting next to her, fast asleep, was Sasha. Even in her sleep, she gently but firmly held Louise's hand. It made Louise feel more comfortable to see that someone was still there for her, even when Saito wasn't around.

After a few minutes, Mariel came into the room holding a basket full of different elixirs and herbs. She set them down on a small table next to Louise's bed, then began sorting them. She hadn't noticed at all that Louise was awake.

Finally, she turned around to check on Louise, which is when she saw that her eyes were open. The sudden sight of seeing her with her eyes open made Mariel jump. When she calmed down, she pulled a chair next to Louise's bed and rubbed her forehead with a cloth.

"You should have told me that you were awake." Mariel said. "How can you scare an old woman like that?"

"I wasn't sure if talking would hurt." Louise replied, weakly. "Besides, you don't look old to me."

"How sweet of you." Mariel said, smiling. "So how do you feel?"

"It hurts when I move, but I'm otherwise okay." Louise replied. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember? We said we'd use magic to make you strong." Mariel said.

"Oh yeah…" Louise said to herself. "What exactly did those procedures do?"

Mariel smiled and pointed at Louise's chest. When Louise looked down, she saw not the familiar sight of a flat chest, but instead saw two massive orbs resting on her ribs. She began to hyperventilate. The shock from seeing such a thing made her wake up from what, it turned out, was a dream.

She shot straight up in bed, breathing heavily. She looked down at her chest, where everything was as it was supposed to be. She breathed a sigh of relief and laid back down in bed. She was not in any pain. If anything, her body felt a little stiff. She looked to her left, where she saw Sasha, who was woken up from her deep sleep by Louise's sudden movements.

"What's wrong?" Sasha said, groggily.

"N-Nothing." Louise replied. "Just a nightmare."

"It's good to see that you're awake." Sasha replied, yawning.

"How long have I been asleep?" Louise asked.

"About four days since Mariel finished her operation. So nine days in total." Sasha replied.

"Where's your older sister?" Louise asked.

"She's been asleep since she finished working on you." Sasha replied. There was a definite sound of resentment and jealousy as she spoke, making Louise realize that Sasha was very self-conscious about Mariel's greater age.

"The changes will show themselves with a bit of conditioning." Sasha replied. "I'll have you lift progressively heavier things and try to run faster and longer. You'll notice the difference within a few days."

"Did you stay here the whole time?" Louise asked.

Sasha nodded. "I told you I'd be there for you, didn't I?"

Louise smiled and gave Sasha a hug. Sasha was rather surprised at first, but soon accepted it and hugged Louise back. When they pulled apart, Louise got out of bed and stood on the ground. She hopped around the room a little to make sure everything was okay.

"How do you feel?" Sasha asked.

"I feel lighter." Louise replied. "A lot lighter."

"Good. That's good." Sasha said. She stood up and walked towards the door. "Come with me. I'm sure Mariel will be happy to know that you're awake."

Louise nodded and got dressed. She followed Sasha out of the room and through a large door at the end of it. Inside, Mariel was sleeping on a couch rather than the soft bed in the corner of the room. She snored loudly, which made Sasha visibly irritated.

After waiting for a few minutes to see if she'd wake up, Sasha became impatient and pushed her off of the couch. With a sharp breath of air, Mariel woke up. She rubbed her head and looked up at her little sister.

"What the hell was that for?" She asked.

"It's rude to sleep when you have a guest." Sasha said, calmly.

"Oh, you're awake!" Mariel said, when she finally noticed Louise, standing behind her little sister.

Louise nodded. "Good morning, Ms. Mariel."

"No need for formalities." Mariel said, giving Louise a tight hug. "After going through that, you're like family now!"

"Don't let her get to you…" Sasha whispered into Louise's ear.

When Mariel finally let go, she examined Louise's body. As far as she could tell, there was nothing different about her body. She felt pretty much the same, albeit somehow 'lighter'. Mariel silently poked and prodded Louise's body until finally, she seemed satisfied.

"Alright! Let's go get some food to eat, then we can give you a test run!" She said, enthusiastically.

Louise hadn't even thought about eating until that moment. Her stomach growled like a hungry animal, causing Mariel to erupt in laughter.

"Well, we might as well go to one of the towns on the lake." Mariel said. "I'm sure you'd prefer that food, wouldn't you?"

"But that's more than two days away." Louise replied.

"Little sis and I can make it by lunch time. We'll see how well you can keep up with us." Mariel replied. "We'll call that our first test."

"There's no way I'll be able to keep up…" Louise said with a gloomy expression.

"We won't know until we try, right?" Mariel said.

Without giving Louise a chance to respond, Mariel started to drag both Louise and Sasha outside. Eventually, they arrived at the base of the mountain. It was very early morning, as the sun had not yet risen. When Mariel finally let them go, she took a deep breath of the cold air.

"A fantastic day for a run!" She exclaimed. "We won't go too fast for you. Just build up to it, okay Louise?"

Louise nodded, not entirely sure that Mariel was entirely sane. Mariel stretched her limbs and then, after a few minutes, looked back at Sasha and Louise.

"On go. 3, 2, 1, go!" She said.

They started out running at what could be called 'normal' running speed for a human. After a short while, they began to move faster and faster. Louise was surprised to see that she could, indeed, keep up. Before long, they were moving faster than any land animal.

When they were moving at what Saito would have estimated as 200 km/h, Louise couldn't go any faster. She wasn't tired, but she simply couldn't make her strides any more powerful. Realizing that she had reached her limit, Mariel and Sasha slowed down to her pace. It took them a few hours to reach the town they were going to, mostly because Mariel had them take a longer route than normal.

"How do you feel, Louise?" Sasha asked.

"I feel great!" Louise replied. "I'm just hungry."

"You did pretty well for your first go." Mariel said. "We'll talk about it later though."

As they walked through the town, which seemed to be primarily occupied by Elves, Louise noticed that the people seemed to greatly admire Mariel, perhaps even more than Sasha. Of course, as she was a human, people glared at her with distaste, making her feel uncomfortable to the point of walking very close to Mariel and Sasha. However, that seemed to make the random people of the town even angrier.

Before long, they reached a large, German-style cottage. Inside, Louise could smell all kinds of different foods. Her mouth began to water as she saw different meats and desserts being brought to different tables.

A waiter soon came to greet them. He wore a long, black, sleeveless cloak, inside of which he wore a white long sleeved shirt. He hurriedly came to greet them when he realized who they were.

"Madame Mariel and Madame Sasha! Welcome! How wonderful it is to have you as our guests today!" He said.

"Hello." Mariel said. "We would like private seating for three, please."

"Three?" The man said. As he looked down at Louise, his face turned into one of disgust. "I'm sorry, but we do not serve her kind here."

Louise looked downcast and began to walk away. Mariel and Sasha looked at her with pity. However, their faces of pity soon turned to faces of rage when they looked back at the waiter. An aura came off of their bodies. Although Louise, Mariel, and Sasha were the only ones capable of seeing it, everyone in the room seemed to feel it.

"She is my family." Mariel said, with an intimidation Louise had not thought possible for someone like her. "We want seating for _three_."

"Y-Yes Ms. Mariel!" The waiter said, shrinking in fear. "P-Please follow me."

They were taken to a room on the fifth and highest floor of the building. It was lavish, featuring round table surrounded by several red, soft couches. Candles dimly lit the room and there was a sweet fragrance in the air.

"P-Please call when you are ready." The waiter said.

"Do make sure that nothing goes awry with my little sister's food." Sasha said. She was calm, but exuded a feeling of coldness when she spoke.

"Y-Yes ma'am!" The waiter said, leaving the room in a hurry.

When he was gone, Sasha and Mariel let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry to cause so much trouble." Louise said, looking down at the ground.

"It's no trouble. Family protect each other." Mariel said, rubbing Louise's head.

"I guess I just don't belong here." Louise replied.

"Nonsense." Sasha said. "Don't let them get to you."

"I don't blame them though." Louise said. "I mean…after what happened so many years ago."

"What happened back then has nothing to do with you." Mariel said. "Come on. Cheer up."

Louise took a deep breath, then smiled and began to look over the menu. For several minutes, they looked over the menus, teasing each other and marveling at the pictures of various dishes in the menus. Eventually, they placed their massive orders, then waited at the table. Soon, different question began to pop into Louise's head.

"Hey Mariel," Louise said. "What exactly did you do to me?"

"Oh, I suppose I should tell you." Mariel said. "You see, every living thing is made of smaller units of life. Within those little pieces of yourself are even smaller strands of information that make you who you are. Using magic, as well as the magic of science, I replaced some of those little pieces of information with either magic, or information from other creatures."

"I'm not sure I follow." Louise said.

"Let me ask you something." Mariel said. "Where is your fiancé from?"

"He's from…another world." Louise replied.

"This world of his is more advanced than the human world here, correct?" Mariel continued.

"Yes. They have amazing architecture and machines." Louise replied, remembering when she opened the world door for Saito.

"I'm sure your fiancé has at least a basic understanding of what I did." Mariel said. "When he comes back, I'll have him explain it. However, what you need to know right now is that you are now partly made of magic, just as Sasha and I are."

"What does that mean?" Louise asked.

"It means that you will have an easier time using Void magic, but you will also be capable of using nature magic. Earth, Water, Wind, and fire." Sasha explained. "You'll also progressively become much stronger and, as long as you are not killed, you should be able to live for quite some time."

"Of course," Mariel said. "I couldn't just do all of that to you without some other modifications. The human body wouldn't normally be able to undergo such a process, so I may or may not have had to change your body's…composition."

"How?" Louise asked her.

"Well, since Sasha and I survived the devil's experiments, I kind of figured that having a bit of our blood in you might help your body survive." Mariel said. "So I put some of my own being into you. Not the important parts that make me an Elf, but just enough to guarantee that you'd survive."

"You must be really smart to be able to do all of that!" Louise exclaimed, in complete awe of Mariel.

"To be honest, I guessed about whether having some Elf blood in you would work, but it all worked out, right?" Mariel said, rubbing the back of her head.

Louise did her best to ignore the fact that she could have died, so she quickly shifted the conversation elsewhere.

"Come to think of it, the people here seem to hold you on a higher pedestal than Sasha." Louise said.

"Well, I did do quite a bit of work back in the day." Mariel said. "But I think that it's just because I'm her older sister."

She laughed and leaned on Sasha's head, making sure to rub in the fact that Sasha was younger. Louise watched the two quarreling for a few minutes, thinking about how different their relationship was compared to her and Éléonore, which soon made her start laughing. Sasha and Mariel stopped fighting and smiled as they saw Louie laughing at the situation.

"Hey," Louise said to Sasha, when she was able to control her laughter. "How come your hair is white while Mariel's is black?"

"Oh." Sasha said, looking at her own hair. "Well, my hair used to be black like Mariel's, but when I came to help the Elves fight off the humans, it turned white. Probably from the stress of the war."

"It's beautiful!" Louise said, looking at Sasha's perfectly white, shining hair.

"Actually," Mariel said. "Why are your hair and eyes pink?"

"Huh? I guess it's because my mother has pink hair and pink eyes." Louise said.

At this moment, several waiters came into the room holding an array of dishes in their arms. One by one, they set them down and then left the room. The smell of meats, pastas, vegetables, and sauces filled the room.

As soon as the last waiter left, Louise picked up a large piece of meat and was about to bite into it. Suddenly, however, she stopped, looking suspiciously at the meat.

"I smell something." Louise said.

Sasha took the piece of meat and smelled it. After a few moments, she sighed, looking both tired and irritated.

"It has no poison, but it does have an ingredient that would make a normal person uncomfortable." She said. "It's a type of plant that grows in the woods around here. It shouldn't matter for you though. Go ahead and eat."

Louise smiled and took a big bite out of the food. By now, she felt more comfortable around Sasha and Mariel, and began to accept them more as family than friends. Happily, she ate with them, sharing stories about each other's adventures.

 **In Tristain's Magic Academy**

There was an air of depression surrounding the school. Rain fell on the academy from dark clouds in the sky. Germanian soldiers stood on every corner. Watchtowers with snipers were placed at each corner of the school's walls. All students were forced to use whatever magic they knew to mine materials for the Germanians or grow food.

All of the students, that is, except Kirche. Rather against her will, she was put in charge of the mining operations, most likely to keep her in check in case her father did something wrong. All of the students looked at her with resentment whenever they came face to face, including her former friends. Guiche, Montmorency, and Malicorne all clearly despised her.

Even when she tried to give them any kind of special treatment, they rejected it and went to work with their classmates. She fell into a deep depression, which wasn't helped by the fact that she had to conduct disciplinary action on students who disobeyed orders.

In her quarters that night, she cried for hours upon hours. She wished she could explain herself to her classmates. She wished that the war had never began. But perhaps most of all, she wished that she hadn't given Saito and Louise that bottle of wine. The guilt of causing their deaths weighed heavily on her.

Their lives as royalty was about to begin. They were to become newlyweds. They had even personally invited Kirche to their wedding, and yet this is how she repaid them. She was very nearly suicidal. In fact, just as the thought of ending her own life came into her head, her father stormed into her quarters.

"Pack what you need! We leave in 5 minutes!" He said.

"What? Leaving for what?" She asked.

"Albrecht is livid! I'll explain later! Hurry up and pack only your necessities!" He said.

Without grasping the situation, she began packing. She left behind everything that had ever attached her to her friends. She left her Pentagram medallion that fastened her second-year cloak. She left all of the gifts that her friends had ever given her.

Taking with her only a few clothes and her wand, she left the castle with her father. He rushed her into a dragon drawn carriage, which soon departed at a very high speed. While in the carriage, Kirche thought about everything that happened. Her innate desire to be loyal to her country had ended all of the relationships with the people she held dear.

"Father, what is this all about?" She asked.

"Albrecht is extremely furious. Several armies in Gallia have been destroyed." He replied.

"How? It should be impossible for them to withstand the _blitzkrieg_." She said. "With our more advanced weapons, victory should be assured."

"It's all because of that boy King." He replied.

"Boy King?" She asked, confused.

"The ones that Albrecht had you assassinate!" Her father said, in anger. "They're alive! Or at least, the boy is! He's been wiping out armies down there left and right!"

"Saito is…alive?" She said.

"Yes!" Her father replied. "That's why I have to hide you away! No doubt he remembers that you tried to poison not only him, but his fiancé! Not only will he be after you, but Albrecht as well!"

"I see." Kirche said, both happy and sad at the same time. "I wonder how Louise is doing…"

After a few hours, they arrived at the place that Zerbst had chosen to hide Kirche. It was a small wooden cottage in the conquered region that used to belong to the Guldenhorf family, who had fled to Gallia before the war had begun.

"Remain here!" Zerbst said, when they finally arrived.

He left her at the cottage and quickly departed. Kirche walked inside the small building. Although not what she was used to, it was quite cozy. It was well furnished and had its own full bedroom and kitchen. It didn't take long for her to grow used to it.

When she settled in, she thought about the fate of Saito and Louise. She was overjoyed to learn that at least Saito was still alive. She hated herself for letting her nationalism and jealousy of Louise's relationship with Saito cloud her judgement.

With guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders, she sought for a way to atone for her sins. As she combed her mind for a possible solution, it finally came to her. She got up and fetched a dagger from her bag. Holding it up to her head, she took a deep breath. In one swift motion, her once long, flowing, crimson hair was now only shoulder length.

She then went into her kitchen, where a large jar of nuts sat on the counter. She mixed them with water, then let them boil, turning the concoction into a dark brown dye. For several hours, she let her hair soak in the dye until, when she finally pulled it out, hardly any trace of red could be seen. She removed all of her make up and took several warm clothes from the closet, putting them on while carrying others as spares.

Lastly, she picked up her wand from the table and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind her. As she held her wand, she thought about all of her friends that she betrayed. Guiche, Montmorency, Malicorne, and especially Tabitha, whose country was fighting off wave after wave of Germanian attacks. To top it off, she thought of Saito and Louise, who she had nearly killed.

With these thoughts in mind, she boldly stepped out into the cold, rainy night. With steely determination in her eyes, she marched forward to go and find Saito.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! This is coming out pretty late in the day again. I'm pretty sure you guys are used to it by now. I'm really happy with all of the positive support I've been getting. It really motivates me to move forward. Feel free to send in PM's, reviews, emails, etc. Just let me know what you'd like to see! Thanks for reading guys! See ya!**


	33. Chapter 33: Making Ground

**Author's Notes:**

 **What's up guys! I was finally able to get a chapter out pretty early. I had to wake up at 6 in the morning to do it, but it's completely worth it! Hopefully, you guys like it too. Enjoy chapter 33!**

 **(Also, shout out to ExExUnderscore, who has helped me a lot with story development and new ideas)**

 **Chapter 33: Making Ground**

It was a cold, rainy evening in April of the next year. The war had been going on for several months. Neither side seemed to be making any ground in Gallia. Even the addition of Romalian forces was not enough to break the stalemate.

Saito remained perched on the balcony of the Gallian royal palace. At this point, although not given the official rank, he was treated like a general, so it was no surprise to him when a messenger came in with reports of the war.

"Sir." The messenger said, saluting. "Despite our recent victories thanks to you in the east, we remain in a bloody stalemate."

Saito had given military strategies to Charlotte and Josette. Admittedly, he may have stolen them from some video games he played. They involved having earth mages dig underneath the 'no man's land' between trenches. Once they dug underneath the enemy trench, fire and air mages would set explosives underneath the enemy, resulting in massive casualties and injuries.

He had also taught them about how to make different explosives, as well as gas masks to counter the gas filled canisters that the Germanians would occasionally launch at enemy trenches. All in all, his contribution to the war had halted the Germanian advance.

"Send replacement soldiers and mages east to relieve those already stationed." Saito said. "What is happening to Albion?"

"They have made several passes over the continent since the war began, but reports say that there are two generals there who push back enemy attacks. Some go as far as saying they're not human." The messenger said.

"It's good to know their okay." Saito thought to himself.

"Is there anything else, sir?" The messenger asked.

"How many enemies are stationed in Tristain?" He asked.

"From our reconissance dragons, approximately 100,000 were stationed there one month ago. However, recent defeats in other parts of the world have caused some soldiers stationed their to be transferred to other regions to fight." The messenger replied.

"I see." Saito said. He thought silently for a few moments. "I'd like to see Tiffania Westwood and The Pope of Romalia. Please ask them to see me."

The messenger bowed and left the room. After a few moments, he returned with Tiffa and Vittorio.

"Hi, Tiffa. Hello, Vittorio. It's good to see you." Saito said with a smile.

"Likewise." Vittorio said.

He had arrived in Gallia several months earlier. It was the first time he met Saito. It didn't take long for him to buy into Saito's explanation about Void mage. He had already summoned Julio as his familiar, but was incapable of using normal magic. With all of this in mind, he figured that it must be because something special was happening to him.

When he found out about what the situation was with Germania, he immediately chose to side with Albion, Gallia, and Tristain. Although he contributed several soldiers and combat mages to the war, his main contribution came with the thousands of medics he had sent to the battlefield.

After witnessing Saito's dedication and hearing about his reasons for fighting, they became quite good friends. Something which surprised Julio, who always saw how difficult it was for Vittorio to make friends considering his social status.

"Why did you need to see us?" Tiffa asked.

"First off, I need you to summon your familiar now, Tiffa." Saito said.

"Why now?" She asked him.

"I always told you to wait for the right moment." Saito replied. "Now is that moment. The three of us are going to liberate Tristain."

 **In Sasha's cabin**

Sasha and Mariel sat inside Sasha's home. Outside, in the sunshine, the ground was no longer white. It was wet and there was moisture in the air, indicating the arrival of spring. Jumping around several obstacles outside with her wand in hand, Louise continued her training.

By this point, Sasha had decided that she was strong enough to begin training her void magic. For the past few months, she had her sit in a dark, silent room so that she could 'see' and 'feel' her magic. They did it several times until one day, Louise felt the large reserve of magic contained within her. Of course, it felt very unwieldy and violent, so they had spent those months slowly but surely teaching her to refine it and control it.

As she dived through and between obstacles, she shot smaller versions of her 'explosion' at targets. However, she had gained more control over her power, so they seemed to be extremely thin beams of light rather than explosions.

"I didn't think she'd make this much progress so quickly." Mariel said.

Sasha nodded. "It's quite remarkable for a human to accomplish this much."

"She's kind of like how you used to be." Mariel said. "You know, before you started trying to act like the older sister."

"God made a mistake. I was clearly meant to be born first." Sasha said, growing extremely irritated.

Soon, Louise came back inside, exhausted. She had learned to control her void magic very well. If need be, she could make massive explosions, or she could choose to make smaller ones. She was capable of doing all of this without losing much stamina. To cast the same sized explosions as she did before, she no longer needed to recite the spell's incantation.

"How did I do?" She asked the sisters, who were watching her from inside.

"Very good." Sasha said. "You have near perfect control of your void magic. Soon, I'll teach you to use Elf Magic."

"But to use Elf magic, you have to form a contract with a spirit." Louise said. "That's what you taught me, so how will I be able to do that?"

"You won't have to." Mariel said. "When Elves use Elf Magic, we are drawing power from the world around us. However, when I was 'working on you', I infused your body with Elf magic. I suppose you could say that you're 'made of magic'. If everything went as it should have, you should be able to use it without forming a contract, just like little sister and myself."

"So when will you teach me how to use it?" Louise asked.

"You seem to be used to controlling your void magic, so I suppose I could start now." Sasha said, sipping her tea.

"How long will it take before I master it?!" Louise asked, excitedly.

"No one ever masters magic." Mariel said. "There is always room for improvement. However, the process of learning to control each element of Elf magic will be a long one. It may take more than a year."

Louise suddenly looked grim. The thought of training with the two sisters for a year or two didn't bother her. It was the thought of Saito fighting for that whole time. She had completely forgotten that as she frolicked, played, and trained with Sasha and Mairel, Saito was actively fighting in a war. She then realized that she hadn't heard anything about him in months, which made a great sense of worry fall over her.

"How is Saito?" She asked.

"He is alive and well. He along with the Gallian and Romalian forces have managed to halt Germanian advances." Sasha said.

"Thank goodness." Louise sighed, as she sat on a chair.

"You need to rest." Mariel said. "You've worked hard enough today."

"But I want to learn to use Elf magic!" Louise argued.

"There is a reason I tell you to rest." Mariel said. "You're pushing too hard. For now, take it easy for some time."

Just as Louise was about to argue, she suddenly felt very weak. It was as if all of the energy in her body, magical or not, was suddenly drained out of her. Her face turned pale and she became extremely tired. Within a few seconds, she drifted into unconsciousness, with Sasha catching her before she fell onto the ground.

"She's pushing too hard." Sasha said calmly, as she laid Louise down in bed.

"I never thought I'd see you with a heart again." Mariel said.

"Perhaps humans have a strange effect on me." Sasha said, watching Louise peacefully sleeping.

"She's going to try and go to the human world soon." Mariel said. "My eyes have told me this."

"If it cannot be stopped, then I will not try to stop her." Sasha replied.

"And here I thought your heart came back to you." Mariel sighed.

There was silence for a few minutes before Sasha spoke again.

"I do not want her to go." She finally said. "I don't want her to risk herself. However, your eyes have never been wrong, so I know there is nothing I can do."

"Then why do you not help her, like you helped that human village?" Mariel asked.

"It is not my place to meddle with human affairs." Sasha replied. "Each time either of us got involved with humanity, we were met with heartbreak. I refuse to go through that again."

"Don't remind me, little sister." Mariel said, rubbing her belly with a sad expression on her face.

"The humans will sort out this war by themselves." Sasha said. "As long as the boy stays strong, they will win in time."

Mariel watched as Sasha watched over the sleeping Louise, gently stroking her hair and forehead.

"I sometimes forget that you're the younger one of us sisters." Mariel said quietly to herself.

 **In Northern Gallia**

In the darkness of the night, Saito patrolled the northern part of Gallia that bordered Tristain. He was searching for any signs of soldiers he had missed, as well as a way for he, Vittorio, and Tiffa to sneak into the country. As he slowly made his way along the border, the smell of smoke made its way into his nose.

He could tell that the source of the fire was several miles away, which would end up dragging him away from the border. However, his curiosity and worry drove him to run in the smoke's direction as fast as possible.

When he arrived, he found a few large piles of wood lit ablaze. Confused, he remained in the shadows of the trees that surrounded the small clearing. After a short while of nothing happening, he drew Derf from his scabbard and slowly walked towards the flames.

"A trap?" He thought to himself.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a twig snapped behind him. In an instant, he turned around, ready to swing his sword at whoever was there. There was, indeed, a person standing over the twig with their hands raised in the air. To show that they meant know harm, they even got on their knees. Saito couldn't tell who they were because they wore a scarf around most of their face. Because of their heavy clothing, he couldn't even make out their gender.

"Let me see your face." He said, keeping his guard up.

The person slowly unraveled their scarf from their face. When it was gone, the face he saw was one he recognized. Illuminated in the light from the fire, was Kirche. As soon as the scarf was off, she threw her wand on the ground and put her hands back in the air.

Saito's face was completely blank. Whether it was from anger or shock, Kirche did not know. She did, however, expect the worst.

"What are you doing here?" He said, very clearly holding back a great amount of anger.

"I wanted to find you. So I lit those fires, hoping someone around could see them." She said. "I don't know exactly where I am, so I thought maybe someone could help me get to the capital."

"Why did you want to find me?" He asked.

At this point, the heat radiating from his body eclipsed that of the flames that burned behind him. His tail, which now glowed with anger, violently wagged from side to side. The runes on his arm as well as his deceivingly calm eyes began to glow brighter and brighter.

"I-I want to help you." She said, shivering from fear.

"Why? So that I forgive you?" He asked.

"So that I could forgive myself." Kirche said, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. To my friends. I can't take the guilt. So please, if you can't let me help you, end my life now."

Saito's eyes widened as the thought of killing her crossed his mind. It would be easy for him to do, even if she fought back. He had every reason to do it too. Not only was she a Germanian military official, but she attempted to kill both him and Louise.

However, as much as he had the justification to do it, his menacing aura dissipated. He fell on his back, looking up at the stars in the sky.

"I can't kill you." He said. "You were my friend."

Kirche collapsed onto the ground as the fear of being killed left her body. For several minutes, both of them lay on the ground in total silence. Eventually, after much thought, Saito brought himself to ask Kirche the most important question at that moment.

"Why did you do it?" He asked.

"It was an order from Albrecht." She said.

She went on to explain how Albrecht seduced and intimidated her into following his orders. How if she didn't do it, not only her, but her entire family would be in danger from Albrecht's wrath. To protect them, she decided that it was a necessary evil.

"I see." Was all Saito said.

"I lost everything." Kirche said, starting to tear up. "My pride, my friends, my honor. How can I face Tabitha if this is all my doing?"

Saito looked at her, starting to feel a large amount of pity for her. If what she said was true, then she probably had no choice but to give them that bottle. As Saito thought about it, he probably would have done the same thing if it were to protect Louise.

"Just this once, let me help you." Kirche said, losing her composure. "I know you hate me, but let me do this one thing for myself."

As she started to cry, Saito was silent for several seconds. Up until this point, he had told himself that when the war was over, he would kill everyone who put Louise in danger. But here he was with the person that could have single handedly killed her, and yet he couldn't bring himself to honor his word.

"I don't hate you." He finally said, much to her surprise. "Now that I know everything I…can't hate you. I…forgive you."

Her eyes widened as he spoke. She was overjoyed that she had been forgiven, but greatly saddened that she had betrayed someone as nice as him. All she could do was bury her face into his chest and start to cry. A little taken back by this, Saito softly wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug.

For several minutes, she wept onto him, until his shirt was soaked with tears. Soon, she fell asleep, having been exhausted from trying to find him, as well as her short outburst.

Saito sighed and looked up at the sky, thinking about how weirdly life works its way out. He carried her on his back and began moving towards Gallia's capital.

"You're such a nice guy, Partner." Derf said.

"Shut up, Derf." Saito said, thinking that he was being mocked.

"I'm serious." Derf replied. "That was a very nice thing you did. You saved her."

Saito didn't say anything. He looked at her sleeping face, resting on his shoulder. As he went back to Lutéce, he couldn't help but smile and feel lighthearted. When he arrived back at the palace, he made his way to one of Charlotte's spare rooms, where he left Kirche to sleep.

 **In Vindobona**

Albrecht paced around his room, thinking about the war. He was in a massive dilemma. Yes, Germania was militarily capable of fighting the war for a very long time, but much of its economics relied on foreign commerce. With food no longer coming from other nations, the Germanian people were made to grow food for the army, which made them unhappy.

Unfortunately, much of Germania's land was only suitable for growing wheat. This would not normally be a problem, but the war was not going as expected. Because of Saito, Romalia, and the Queens of Gallia, Germanian forces had been halted in their push into Gallia. In some places, they were even being driven back by Gallia and Romalia's combined militaries, as well as militia armies made up of Gallians and Tristainians. As if that were not enough, Albions forces, under the command of Wales, Alex, and Shon, had begun sending military forces to the north-west coast of Tristain on the land where Saito and Louise were supposed to rule.

Albion's forces established a foothold in that area, where they would continue to land reinforcements whenever necessary. In just a few days, Albion's forces were marching towards Tristania, taking any towns they found along the way.

The Germanian factories were shifted into high gear to keep up with demand for weaponry, clothes and medical supplies. However, the Germanian government was not financially capable of sustaining the war much longer. To make matters worse, the majority of Germanian people, who were not well off to begin with, soon began to withdraw their support for the war. Those who remained loyal to the war effort demanded a higher pay for the more dangerous factory jobs they were forced to work. A higher pay that the government couldn't afford to give.

Albrecht knew that Germania could only last a few years in a state like this, so he would need some kind of way to motivate the people. Besides that, he thought about how this wouldn't be happening if Saito was dead, like he ordered. Anger began to fill his head and soon, he decided that Zerbst would have to be punished for his daughter's failure. He called a messenger into his room to fetch Zerbst.

"I want you to find him and bring him here." Albrecht said.

"We have been unable to find him. He has not sent in a report in over three months." The messenger said.

"What?! Then go to the Tristain Magic Academy and bring me his daughter!" Albrecht exclaimed.

"She is no where to be found either sir!" The messenger said. "It seems that the entire Zerbst family vanished into thin air."

Albrecht went into a furious rampage, throwing glasses and bottles of wine across his room in anger. His war was not going as planned and now, it seemed like victory was not assured.

 **In Saito's room**

Saito laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Although he didn't know why, he felt overjoyed to have Kirche as his friend again. Perhaps the constant stress of war had weighed him down so much, that he didn't realize just how much he missed everyone, including her.

As he thought, he hear a knock on his door.

"Come in." He said.

It was a messenger sent by Charlotte. "Lord Hiraga, you have visitors to see you. Shall I allow them to come here."

"Visitors?" Saito said. "Well, if they're visitors, that must mean they're not hostile. Sure, I can see them."

The messenger bowed and left. Saito waited for a few minutes before hearing another knock on the door.

"Enter." He said.

In through the door walked two people he hadn't seen in months. Standing before him were Shion and Alex. Saito didn't seem to fully grasp what was happening. He simply stared at them for a few seconds. After a short while, he jumped up from his bed and hugged them tightly.

"It's good to see you too." Alex said, slightly suffocating from Saito's hug.

After a little while, Saito let them go. His face was beaming with happiness, as were theirs to see that he was okay. Even Shion, who normally seemed bored, had a wide grin on her face.

"How did you get here?!" Saito asked.

"We used a small ship to fly over Tristain. Wales said he could handle the situation in Tristain, so he told us to take a break." Shion said.

"Thank god you're okay." Saito said.

Soon, however, Shion looked very serious. "Where is Louise? She's always with you. Don't tell me…"

Saito could very clearly see the emotion welling up inside Shion.

"No! No!" He said. "I left her somewhere safe! She's okay."

"Where is she?" Alex asked.

Before Saito told them, he closed the door as well as the curtains that covered the windows.

"She's in the Elven Kingdom." He said.

Alex looked at him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. For several minutes, he laughed in the annoying, young, childish voice that befitted someone with his personality.

"Come on, I'm serious." Alex said.

"So am I." Saito said, making both Alex and Shion start taking him seriously. "It's a really beautiful place. There's mountains in the distance. Each town is built on a lake. In the winter, the lake freezes and you can skate on it."

As Saito described the place, Shion began to look somewhat distressed, something which both Saito and Alex noticed. She began to hyperventilate and hold her head as if she was in pain. Soon, she fell unconscious.

"What the hell?!" Saito and Alex exclaimed.

He put his hand on her forehead. He could feel everything about her just from touching her. Her body temperature was normal, she was not sick, and nothing was broken. Both men were extremely confused as to why this possibly could have happened. Both were worried, but chose to question her when she woke up.

Luckily for them, she woke up only a few minutes later. Her face was blank, as if her soul was not inhabiting her body. They made several attempts to get her to snap out of it, but to know avail. As a last resort, Alex decided to kiss her cheek, hoping her feelings for him would wake her up. At first, the result was disappointing, but soon, her eyes brightened and her face returned to the normal, bored expression it always had.

"What happened?" Saito asked.

"If you feel bad, we can take you to get treated." Alex said.

"I feel fine." Shion said, blandly.

"Then what's wrong?" Saito asked.

She looked directly at them, with her purple eyes shimmering in the candle light.

"I…I remember that place."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I got a chapter out during the day! Are you proud of me guys?! Anyway, thanks for reading! I had fun writing this chapter. I got the 3500 minimum word count that I generally like having, but I think I also made the chapter interesting. Tell me what you think! Thanks again for reading! Catch you next time!**


	34. Chapter 34: The Heroes Depart

**Author's Notes:**

 **What's up everyone! It's nice to be getting a chapter out every day for once. I've received a few pm's about the story. If you sent one, I'll do my best to answer it as quickly as possible. Anyway, here's chapter 34. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 34: The Heroes Depart**

"I remember that place…" Shion repeated.

Both Saito and Alex looked very shocked. How could she possibly know about a place that no human had ever seen?

"What do you mean?" Saito asked.

"That's where my home is." She replied.

"But you're human…" Saito said. "How could you have known about that place if no human has ever been there."

"My mother is an Elf." She said.

"But your ears…" Alex said.

Saito thought about the possibility. He thought about his biology classes in high school. Sometimes, a genetic trait could be recessive, making the physical appearance of the offspring change. Maybe Elf ears could be recessive, which would explain why her ears were like a human's. Of course, Saito couldn't explain all of this to them.

"She might be right." Saito said. "In fact, you might be from that place too."

"Me?" Alex said.

"It would explain your long life span." Saito replied. "Besides, you don't remember much either right?"

Alex was quiet for a little while. "Even if that's true, there'd be no point going there now."

"Wouldn't you want to find your family?" Saito asked.

"I don't know." Alex said. "Besides, I've met people like me who've lived long, yet they don't remember where they're from. We all just live without those memories. We don't need them."

"I need those memories back." Shion said.

"Well, Alex. Looks like your hands are tied." Saito said.

"Fine." Alex sighed. "We can go once this war is over. But I'm going for Shion, not myself."

"Speaking of the war, how have you two been faring?" Saito asked.

"Luckily for us, when the war began, Albion wasn't over the continent. When news of the war reached Albion, we had a lot of time to prepare for attacks." Alex said. "Still, we never imagined they would be using such weapons, so it was a hard fight at first."

"It was made worse when we heard news that you were no where to be found." Shion said, quietly. "We thought you and Louise were killed. Alex was particularly-"

"No need to continue, Shion!" Alex interrupted, laughing nervously. "How about you, Saito. From the news we've gotten, it seems your military career has been successful."

"I don't know how successful a career in the military can be." Saito said, remembering the thousands of deaths he was responsible for. "But yeah, I guess it's been okay. Speaking of which, I'll be heading to Tristain soon."

"Tristain? By yourself?" Alex said. "Even you can't get through there alive."

"I took a few precautions." Saito said.

He opened the buttons on his shirt, revealing the runes for the Heart of God. Earlier in the month, he finally had Tiffa summon her familiar. Of course, Saito knew that it would be him, so he wasn't alarmed. He thought that the power of the Heart of God may come in handy at some point in the future.

"Still," Alex said. "You could easily die in there. You shouldn't go alone."

"Once I retake the magic academy, I will have Gallian and Romalian forces march through the border." Saito said. "If I'm right, they should be able to arrive at the academy before Germanian soldiers arrive there from Tristainia."

"All of that sounds like it's based on hope and chance. We can come with you, you know." Alex said.

"No. You two should go and help Wales." Saito said. "In fact, I think Shion should stop fighting for a little while."

"I can still fight." She said, stoically.

"Physically, yes. But mentally, you need to take a break. Especially after today." Saito replied.

"But-" Shion was about to argue, but Alex squeezed her face, stopping her from talking.

"He's right, Shion." He said. "I'm worried about you. I can do enough fighting for both of us, so just relax for a while."

He gave her a soft kiss, making her turn bright red. Her rather harsh personality seemed to melt away as Alex's lips touched hers. When he finally pulled away, she didn't say anything. She just crossed her arms in a futile attempt to look upset.

"Well, since that's settled, I should get going." Saito said.

"So soon?" Alex replied.

"I told you I was leaving soon, didn't I?" Saito asked.

"Well, yeah. But I didn't think you meant in a few minutes." Alex said.

"For every second that I'm not at the Academy, my friends are suffering." Saito replied. "I have to go immediately."

"Oh. Well, good luck." Alex said.

They gave each other a hug, both knowing that Saito may die in Tristain. Saito gave Shion a kiss on her hand, then disappeared from the Palace, appearing in Kirche's room. She was already awake and prepared to depart. Neither said a thing as Saito lifted her up and they departed for the border.

 **In Sasha's cabin**

Louise woke up from her deep sleep. She felt drained of any sort of energy. She noticed that Sasha sat next to her, stroking her pink hair.

"You didn't have to wait for me to wake up." Louise said.

"She always does that." Mariel said. "She's always watch-"

Sasha threw a cup at her, making her stop.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"I have no energy." Louise said. "I've never felt like this before."

"It's to be expected." Mariel said. "You were doing quite a bit of training for a woman who's expecting."

"I guess I was pushing myself a little hard, huh?" Louise said.

She was quiet for a little while, thinking about how long she would have to remain in bed.

"Hey, Mariel." She finally said. "You're Sasha's older sister, so do you have kids?"

Mariel's face became very grim. "Somewhere out there, yes I do." She replied.

"What do you mean?" Louise asked.

"Somewhere out there, my child is alive." Mariel said, making the air in the room seem to stagnate.

"I'm sorry." Louise said. "I never thought…"

"Don't worry about it!" Mariel said, looking happier. "As long as they're alive, I'm happy. Come on, let's get you out of bed!"

Louise was worried about Mariel, but decided not to delve any further. She attempted to stand on her feet, but her legs gave way beneath her. Sasha supported her and laid her back down in bed.

"It's rather strange that you're so weak." Mariel said.

"I felt like all of my strength was taken away yesterday." Louise said.

Sasha put her hand on Louise's forehead.

"Your core temperature is slightly higher." She said.

"Is that bad?" Louise asked.

"Considering you feel okay other than your slight weakness, it should be okay." Mariel said.

"What do you think is causing it?" Louise asked.

"It's probably your training coupled with the little monster you're carrying with you." Mariel said. "You should recover if you eat something."

"I do feel kind of hungry." Louise said.

Mariel smiled and went out into the woods to collect meat, leaving Sasha and Louise alone to discuss her.

"What happened to her child?" Louise asked.

"He was cast away long ago." Sasha said as she started to braid Louise's hair.

"Why?" Louise asked.

"He contained human blood." Sasha said. "When the people found out, they found his father and murdered him. To protect him, Mariel sent him to the human world. To keep him from hurting, she erased his memories of this place…and of his mother."

"That's terrible…" Louise said, sadly. "Do you think she'll ever find them?"

"Who knows?" Sasha said. "The only thing she cannot see with her eyes is her darling child."

"I never understood that." Louise said. "What do you mean she can see everything?"

"Has she ever told you why she goes into that mountain in particular?" Sasha asked.

"No." Louise replied. "She told me that that mountain was special for some reason, though."

"Deep within that mountain is a large reserve of magic." Sasha said. "We call it the heart of time. This is what Brimir used to experiment on her. He took a piece of this magic and implanted it within Mariel. It was very painful for her, but she survived. It left her with the power to see through time, although the distance she can see varies."

"So can she not see her child?" Louise asked.

"Unfortunately not." Sasha said. "I do not know if she refuses to see him, or if she truly cannot."

"That's very sad." Louise said as she looked outside at Mariel, who was no grilling some kind of meat.

"She copes with it, so do not worry." Sasha said.

Mariel walked into the room holding several large pieces of meat on some wooden platters. Louise's appetite immediately grew, and she began wolfing down the rather simplistic, but delicious meal. When she was finished, she didn't necessarily feel full, but she was satisfied.

Just as she finished, a messenger ran to the house's door.

"Report of the humans!" He said.

"Speak." Sasha replied.

"The Allied nations of Romalia, Albion, and Gallia have begun to push back the aggressor nation." The messenger said.

"Really?!" Louise said. "How is Saito?!"

The messenger was hesitant to reply, but complied once he saw the glare of Sasha and Mariel.

"The human with the orange tail is responsible for several victories in Gallia. He is currently travelling to Tristain. The aggressor nation has occupied Tristain with at least 100,000 soldiers. The boy goes there alone." He replied.

"Alone?!" Louise said. "He'll die!"

"Calm yourself." Mariel said.

"No! He told me he died before doing something like this!" Louise said.

She started getting dressed immediately. Sasha quietly sipped her tea, knowing that Louise's departure was inevitable. Louise grabbed her wand and in a haste, began opening a world door. Through the door, she saw the a coast line. She recognized the beach as the coast of her own country. She turned around and hugged Sasha and Mariel, with tears streaming down all of their faces.

"Thank you so much." Louise said.

Both Sasha and Mariel kissed her cheeks.

"Come back soon, little sister." Sasha and Mariel said.

"I will, older sisters." Louise said.

Soon, she departed, leaving Sasha and Mariel to worry about her well being while she went to find her lover.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the short chapter. I planned for it to be longer, but the finished product would have been too long, so I cut it out. Sorry. I'll have the rest out tomorrow. See you next time!**


	35. Chapter 35: Reclaiming Tristain

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! As promised, here is today's chapter. It was much longer than it is now, so I split it up. Also, I know it's kind of late, but I tried my best. Anyway, here's chapter 35. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 35: Reclaiming Tristain**

Saito and Kirche walked through a densely packed forest. They had just crossed the border of Tristain and were now making their way towards the academy. As they quietly made their way there, they saw several groups of Germanian soldiers going in the opposite direction.

"Where are they going?" Saito asked.

"Germania has recently suffered defeats in Gallia." Kirche said. "They're moving soldiers from Tristain to Gallia as reinforcements."

"I see. That should make things a little easier. How heavily guarded is the academy?" Saito asked.

"There are about 1,000 soldiers stationed there at the moment." Kirche replied.

"I see. We'll take out the guards on the watchtowers first." Saito said.

"Even if we take the watchtowers, there will still be hundreds of them left." Kirche said. "How do you expect to take them all alone?"

"I don't." Saito said. "I assume you had some kind of official rank at the academy during its occupation, right?"

"Yes." Kirche replied. "They put me in charge of the mining operations in and around the school."

"Then all we have to do is walk through the front gate." Saito said. "Just tell them that I'm a student who attempted to escape, but you caught me. Knowing Germanians, they won't disobey an order from a superior. Once we're inside, we just have to release a few students. Those students will release others until eventually, everyone has their shackles off. Once that happens, I'll attack the guards. Use that distraction to lead the students away. The earth mages should be able to dig a tunnel underneath the wall, so it will be fine."

"You really thought this through." Kirche said.

"Not really, I just thought of it now." Saito replied, chuckling.

"So how did Louise allow you to go to war alone?" Kirche asked.

"I didn't tell her…" Saito said. "I couldn't risk her coming with me, so I lied to her."

"So where is she, exactly?" Kirche asked.

"I can't really tell anyone. I've only told Tabitha, Josette, and two other friends." Saito said. "It's better that way."

Confused, Kirche decided not to pursue that conversation. Several hours later, once darkness had fallen, they saw a large clearing in front of them. In its center they saw a large castle, which Saito instantly recognized as the academy.

However, it didn't look quite the same as it did before. Barbed wire lined the top of the walls and there were several watchtowers dotted around the campus, each with four snipers perched in their crow's nests.

At this moment, Saito started to roll around on the ground. Kirche simply watched in confusion, wondering why he was doing something so childish at a time such as then. However, when he got up, she realized his reasoning. His entire body was now filthy from head to toe. His hair was unkempt and scruffy, making him look like he had actually been running through the forest. He wrapped his tail around his waist and under his clothing, hiding it from view, then turned towards Kirche.

"Alright, put your knife to my neck." He said.

He turned away from her, waiting to feel the cold metal of her blade pressed against his neck. Of course, this knife was not capable of cutting deep into his skin, but he allowed it to cut him slightly so that he bled a little, making everything look legitimate.

With all of their preparations made, Saito raised his hands in the air so that he looked like a proper prisoner, then they made their way towards the academy gate. As they got close to the gate, a Germanian guard walked forward to them.

"State your business." He said.

"My name is Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst. I am the current commander of this outpost. I have come here with this escaped student." She said, sounding very official.

"Understood." The guard said. "Please proceed."

The guard stepped aside, allowing Kirche to walk into the Academy with Saito. Saito became depressed to see how dismal the academy had become. Students were marched in lines towards large holes in the ground where they were forced to mine mineral deposits.

Kirche led him into the academy's main structure, then led him downstairs, where there was a strong smell of iron and sulfur. She led him through a series of corridors until they reached a massive underground cave. Hundreds of students were using their magic to extract different ores from the cave walls. Kirche placed Saito in between a group of students.

"You can take it from here." She whispered. "Good luck."

"Thanks Kirche." He said, giving her a warm smile.

Even with her dark complexion, her cheeks visibly blushed a bright shade of red. She quickly left him, wishing him luck on his operation. When she was out of sight, someone next to him decided to speak to him.

"Welcome to the pit." He said. "Where are you from?"

"Isn't everyone here an academy student?" Saito asked.

"Nah, some of us are plebs. We're the ones who sort out all these rocks." The boy said. "My name's Arthur, what's yours?"

"I'm Saito. Nice to meet you." Saito replied.

"Saito?!" Someone further down the line said. "You're Louise's familiar right?! That Saito?!"

"Keep it down." Saito said. "Yeah, that's me."

"How did they catch you?" The person asked. Saito couldn't see them, as several other people were in the way and he didn't want to use his powers yet.

"They didn't catch me." Saito said. "I came here to rescue everyone. How many guards are down here?"

"About fifty." Arthur said.

"When do the guards put everyone to sleep?" Saito asked.

"Everyone down here gets to sleep for two hours, starting in about thirty minutes." Arthur said.

"An hour will be more than enough." Saito said. "How many people down here are not mages?"

"From what I've seen, perhaps forty down here are plebs." Arthur replied.

"I see." Saito said. "Continue doing your work. I'll handle everything."

For the next thirty minutes, Saito helped sort the ores that the mages mined. As soon as thirty minutes passed, one of the guards shot his gun into the air to get the attention of the students.

"Time for sleep!" He said. "You have two hours!"

The guards, who were all stationed on 10 makeshift balconies high on the walls of the underground cave, turned off the lamps that were next to them so that they could not be seen. With all the students now resting, Saito turned his eyes on and looked around for each of the guards.

Without anyone noticing, he disappeared from the spot where he laid. One by one, he appeared behind the guards on each balcony, quickly and silently dispatching them. Although he didn't like it, he decided that killing them was probably the easiest way to go about his mission. In less than three minutes, all of the guards were dispatched.

Saito picked up all of their weapons, then landed back in the center of the cave, surrounded by resting students and plebs. He made sure there were no guards nearby, then decided to address them.

"Everyone, please wake up!" He said.

Afraid and annoyed, the students looked got up and looked around, wondering what the source of the noise was. They saw Saito standing on a stack of boxes.

"You idiot!" One of the students said. "The guards will kill us if we make noise!"

Saito threw one of the guard's guns on the ground. "We don't have to worry about them anymore."

The students who could see the gun all gasped, wondering how he possibly managed to get it. They all started to murmur to each other, wondering what would happen to them if the rest of the guards found out.

"Who are you?" One of the students said.

"My name is Hiraga Saito. To be more formal, my name is King Hiraga." He said, letting his tail fall from his waist and move freely. "I'm here to retake the academy and Tristain."

"Saito!" A few familiar voices said.

Saito looked behind him, where the source was coming from. There, he saw Guiche, Malicorne, and Montmorency making their way through the crowd. They ran towards him and gave him a hug.

"It's good to see you guys again." Saito said.

"We thought you died…" Montmorency said. "Wait, where's Louise?!"

"Don't worry, she's fine." Saito said. "Right now, we need to get out of here. Distribute these guns to everyone who cannot use magic. Whatever is left over, distribute among everyone else. Where are Osmond and Colbert?"

"They were in Albion when the war began." Guiche said.

"I see. Then we'll be on our own with this one." Saito said. "I'm going to go and get Kirche. Have all of the earth mages begin digging tunnels outside of the school."

"Why Kirche?" Guiche said. "She can't be trusted!"

"Now's not the time for that. Just do it for everyone. Please." Saito said.

They wanted to argue, but they decided to trust him this time. They all nodded, letting Saito know that they'd listen. With that settled, Saito seemed to disappear from his place, and soon arrived behind Kirche, who was waiting for him in her room.

He said nothing, instead picking her up and appearing back in the cave.

"Keep her safe." Saito said. "She'll tell you which way to tunnel. I'll deal with the rest of the guards."

With that, he left them to begin digging their escape route.

 **In the north-west countryside of Tristain**

Prince Wales sat in a tent about 100 kilometers from the coast, strategizing how he and his army would get past a massive blockade of Germanian soldiers, who had formed a line of artillery, stopping Wales from pushing past them.

"The only way we could do it is to take them all out at once." One of his generals said. "But we have no weaponry that is capable of that right now."

"Even with the weapons we recovered from the enemy, sending any soldiers to try and fight would be suicide." Wales said to himself.

"For now." The general said. "It is probably best to remain here. The enemy will not push forward."

"Very well." Wales said. "We will remain here. Any word from Queen Charlotte?"

"The foreign boy has made his way into Tristain. No more information is known." The general said.

"I see. Perhaps when news of him reaches the Germanians, they'll fall back." Wales said. "Since everything is settled, please allow me to rest for a little while."

"Yes, sir. I will alert you if anything should go amiss." The general said, bowing towards Wales.

Wales nodded a 'thank you' as the general left the tent. When he was gone, Wales fell onto the small, thin, quite uncomfortable bed that was put in the tent for him. He began to think to himself about the situation in Tristain.

"The enemy has formed a blockade." He thought to himself. "The only way we can break through is to destroy the enemy forces at once. Perhaps if Saito was here, things would be easier. The only other person who's capable of doing it would be his wife, Louise. But there's no way she can do it alone. Her spells take too long to be put into use."

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard a commotion outside. He sat up in bed, wondering what was going on. Soon, the same general from earlier ran into the tent.

"Sir! An intruder behind our lines!" He said.

"How did Germanians get behind us?! How many are there?!" He said as he grabbed his sword, prepared for a fight.

"It is only one, and they do not appear to be Germanian. It's just a small girl." The general said.

"A small girl?" Wales said as he resheathed his sword. "What kind of a small girl?"

"A pink haired girl. She's wearing abnormal clothes and seems to have appeared from nowhere." The general said.

"Does she wear a crown?" Wales asked, immediately understanding what was going on.

"Yes she does." The general said. "How shall we deal with this?"

"Bring her to me." Wales said. "For your own good, I'd be gentle with her if I were you."

The general, rather bewildered, left the tent. After a very large commotion, he came back with the girl in his arms in a rotten mood. His hair seemed to have been burnt and his face had ash on it. It took all of Wales's willpower to resist laughing at him.

"You are dismissed." He said, as quickly as possible.

The general left, with an irritated expression on his face. When he was gone, Wales gave Louise a big hug.

"It's so good to see you're okay, Louise!" He said.

"It's nice to see you too, Lord Wales." She replied. "How is everything?"

"Well, things have been going okay until now." Wales said as he pulled away from her.

He sat her down and began to explain everything that had happened during the war. He explained that the Germanian army used weapons from sixty years ago in Saito's world. He went on to explain how in the past three months, the combined forces of Gallia, Romalia, and Albion have attained victories in both Tristain and Gallia. She was especially interested in learning about Saito's various exploits during the war.

"Where is Saito?" She asked.

"He has crossed the Gallian border into Tristain with the purpose of first liberating the magic academy, and then the capital." Wales said. "Our messengers from Gallia have not come back yet with more information."

"I see." Louise said. "How is my family?"

"Your parents have been helping to organize our militaries. We refused to have them fight on the front lines. Both of your sisters are safe." Wales said.

"Thank goodness." Louise sighed. "So why are you camped here?"

"The Germanians have formed an artillery blockade. We cannot get past them. We have to simultaneously destroy all of them, otherwise if we charge, we'd all be mowed down." Wales explained.

"I can deal with them." Louise said.

"They're too far away for you." Wales said. "Even if they weren't, we don't have anything to defend you with while you cast your spell."

"How far away did you say they were?" She asked, getting up from her chair and walking towards the tent's exit.

"Approximately 30 kilometers." Wales replied.

"Thank you." She said.

She stood outside Wales's tent and looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to rise over the land, making the sky look dark blue. She took a deep breath and pointed her wand upwards in the direction where the Germanian army was.

In succession and without her saying a word, several balls of light shot from her wand. Each was about the size of a person's head. They quickly flew in the direction of the enemy and were soon out of sight. After about sixty seconds of silence and confusion from Wales's army, several massive, blindingly bright domes of light appeared in the distance.

There was complete silence as the light illuminated the landscape. Soon, the silence was interrupted by the sound of massive explosions as the shockwaves from the blast arrived at their location. The winds from the blast knocked several of the men over, while the sound startled the army's dragon. After the shockwave subsided, Wales got up from where the shockwave threw him and looked at Louise with both fear and shock.

She didn't look like she did anything out of the ordinary. The winds didn't knock her over and the sound didn't startle her. She simply stared in the direction of the explosions for a few seconds, then looked back at Wales.

"I don't know if I managed to hit them, so you should send someone by dragon to check." She said.

"R-Right…" Wales said, as he fearfully watched her go back into his tent.

Like she asked, a sent a dragon riding scout to see if her attack was successful. The scout was gone for about an hour. When he came back, the look on his face was one of shock.

"Report." Wales said.

"T-They're all g-gone." The scout said. "There's not a single one l-left."

"I wish to see it for myself." Wales said in disbelief.

The scout nodded and helped Wales onto the dragon. They took off and headed in the direction of the explosions. For several minutes, they flew in silence, as the scout was in too much shock to speak to Wales. Soon, the scout signaled to Wales that they had arrived.

When Wales looked down, he understood the reason for the scout's state of shock. Several massive craters dotted the landscape for several kilometers. They extended in a line further than Wales's eyes could see. All plants in the area seemed to be vaporized, as the ground was completely bare and was, in some places, smoldering. His eyes were able to identify the silhouettes of several large and small weapons laying in and around the craters.

"Let's go back." Wales said. "I will inform our men that the enemy has been neutralized."

The scout nodded and they headed back to base. Wales's general was waiting for him to arrive. When Wales landed, he didn't say anything for a few minutes. He seemed to need a few minutes to process the destruction.

"We're marching forward." Wales said when he finally gained his composure. "The enemy has been destroyed."

"How is that possible?!" The general asked.

"The girl." Wales said. "Ready our men. We are leaving immediately."

He went into the tent, where Louise was sitting, waiting for information on what they were going to do.

"Where are you going next?" She asked.

"We're going towards the capital." Wales said. "You're welcome to tag along. We may meet Saito there, after all."

"Thanks!" Louise said, with a smile that did not fit someone capable of that much destruction.

After about one hour, with the sun now in the sky, they began to make their way towards Tristain. Once the fear and the shock of learning how powerful Louise was subsided, the army felt a sense of newfound strength knowing that such a powerful ally was on their side.

 **At the Tristain Magic Academy**

The morning sun rising over the academy revealed an ominous sight. Among the various equipment used for mining, the holes in the ground from the mining operation, and the smell of various fumes in the air, were the bodies of several guards laying on the ground in silence.

During the night, Saito had caused a distraction at the front gate of the school, allowing the rest of the prisoners to escape with Kirche. All of the prisoners spent the entire night running towards the border with Gallia. By the time the sun rose, they were already more than halfway there. They had no idea whether or not Saito had lived or died, but they were glad to finally be headed to safety.

Throughout the day, they ran non stop until finally, they saw a line of soldiers wearing the Gallian crest on their armor. With the border in sight, most of them fell to the ground from exhaustion. When the border's soldiers saw them, they immediately sent medics to help them and bring them into Gallia.

During the commotion, Kirche managed to find Guiche, Malicorne, and Montmorency. They were drinking much needed water, as they were completely dehydrated from the past several months in slavery. When they noticed her, she immediately got on her knees with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry!" Was all she could bring herself to say.

"It's…It's okay." Montmorency said. "I'm sure you had a reason for your actions."

"Yeah." Guiche said. "We got carried away with how we treated you. I'm sure you wouldn't betray us for no reason."

"We forgive you, Kirche." Malicorne said.

Although she was still crying, she was also smiling from the immense joy of getting her friends back. They all came together in a hug, glad that they survived the war with their friendship intact.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the academy, with his mission partly over, Saito sat looking up at the blue sky. He thought about how the thought of killing those hundreds of guards no longer felt very foreign to him. It was almost like he no longer thought of them as human.

Regardless of these thoughts, he soon stood up, knowing that the Gallian army would soon be there if Kirche had followed his directions. Soon enough, just as he predicted, several dragons and horse riding soldiers appeared over the horizon.

Saito stood at the gate of the academy, waiting to greet them. When they arrived, the commanding officer of the company rode on his horse towards Saito, who was now sitting on the ground, leaning on the academy's wall.

"The Queen extends her highest gratitude for you work, General." He said.

"I'm not a general." Saito replied. "I'm just a friend doing the Queen a few favors."

"Even so, the Queen has given you the official rank of General. Congratulations for your hard work." He said. "My men will take it from here. The Pope of Romalia will also be arriving within the next two days."

"Thank you." Saito said.

The officer handed Saito a white cape that was to be fastened from one shoulder. It had the emblem of the Gallian royal family on it's back, as well as five silver stars fastened on the left shoulder. He was also given back his crown, which he left behind so that he would be able to blend into the school.

He sighed from slight embarrassment, but put them on anyway as the Gallian army cheered for him. As the army cleared the bodies of the Germanian guards and set up watchtowers, Saito decided to go and take a nap before he began his mission to capture Tristania.

The room he went to, of course, was Louise's room. As he walked in, fond memories he held of old times rushed back to him. Even if it was Louise hitting him with her riding crop, he held all of those memories dear to his heart.

As he laid down on her old bed, he remembered her face, her smile, and most of all, her voice. With those thoughts in mind, he fell asleep, eager for the whole war to finally end so that he could see her again.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Wow, I am really pushing it with my release times for these. But at least I got it out today, right? I hope you enjoyed it! Again, this was supposed to be part of a much longer chapter, but I split it apart into several chapter so that it wouldn't be a bore to read. I hope I was right. See you next time!**


	36. Chapter 36: Assured Victory

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I wasn't originally planning on writing this chapter today, but I chose to do it now so that you'd have something to read over the weekend. I don't think there will be a chapter tomorrow, but I will be posting the first chapter of my own story on fictionpress. Anyway, that's enough rambling. Enjoy chapter 36!**

 **Chapter 36: Assured Victory**

Saito woke up in a familiar room. It was afternoon and the sun shone down onto the land. He stood up, feeling quite tired, and walked downstairs and outside. Gallian and Romalian soldiers were preparing their weapons and animals, ready to march towards Tristania.

However, he did not wake up because of the commotion of the soldiers at the academy, but because he sensed something in the air. The breeze unnaturally changed direction, while the air's pressure also changed slightly. In his ears, he could pick up the sound of a very low rumbling. When he got up, the sound was gone and the air was back to normal. Assuming that it was his imagination, he walked downstairs to the academy's campus.

As he walked through the academy's grounds, he thought about how when this war was over, he would still have to deal with the Ancient Dragon, although the fight would be easier this time around. The thought weighed on his shoulders, making him feel depressed.

His depressing thoughts were soon dispelled, however, when his eyes met with Tiffa's. She had been sent to the academy when word about Saito's victory reached Charlotte and Josette.

"Hey, Tiffa. How are you?" Saito asked.

"To be honest, I'm a little scared." She replied. "We're supposed to be leaving in a few hours."

"It would be helpful if the guys from Albion were able to get there too." Saito said.

"Were you not told about them?" Tiffa asked.

"What do you mean?" Saito said.

"They managed to break through the blockade that was stopping them." She replied.

"Oh really?" Saito said. "Everything will be much easier then. How did they do it?"

He remembered the feeling he had in the morning, wondering if maybe it had something to do with Wales. He knew all of the details about how Wales's army was halted near the coast of Tristain, but didn't want to jump to a conclusion

"Apparently, they had help from someone, but they weren't specific." Tiffa said.

"Someone? Must have been a Germanian who defected." Saito concluded. "Either way, that will make everything much easier."

"Yes, probably Germanian. Why exactly did you want me to come here?" She asked. "I can't fight at all."

"Your powers as a void mage gave you the ability to erase memories." Saito said. "My powers as your familiar allow me to amplify void magic. If I give you enough energy as the Heart of God, you might be able to subdue their military. At least temporarily."

"I see." Tiffa said. "You really think I can do it?"

"Of course I do." Saito said, giving her a warm hug. "Trust me."

She blushed as he hugged her. He was the only one in her recent memory that had ever shown her any kind of affection. When he moved away, she suddenly felt cold, realizing how much heat his body produced.

"Oh, one more thing." She said, trying her best to hide her flushed face. "Here you go."

She handed Saito Derflinger, who he had left in her care before he left for Tristain.

"Thanks!" Saito said. "I nearly forgot about him."

"I'm awake you know…" Derf said.

"I…I have to go prepare." Tiffa said, still red from embarrassment. "I'll see you when we're leaving, Saito."

She quickly walked away as Saito bade farewell to her. Saito then went to try and find a quiet place for him to remain until the time came to go to Tristainia. He didn't want to go back to Louise's room because he didn't want to think of her at this time. Missing her presence wasn't going to help him fight right now, after all. He made his way to the roof of the academy's main building.

"Hey Gandalfr, I know you can hear me." He said out loud.

"What is it, boy?" Said the voice in his head.

"Did you feel the change in the air when I woke up?" Saito asked. "Or was that just in my head?"

"Indeed, I felt it." Gandalfr said. "It must have been quite a powerful force that caused it."

"Tiffa told me that Wales got through the Germanian blockade with someone's help. Could that be the source?" Saito asked.

"From what the Gallians have reported, the blockade stopping Albion advance was several miles long. I have a hard time believing any single person is capable of destruction like that. The only one who was capable of such a feat without the power of the Heart of God was Brimir." Gandalfr replied.

"Who could be capable of that..?" Saito said. "Well, as long as they're on our side, it's fine."

At this moment, horns blared below him, indicating that the time had come to depart for Tristainia. Saito stretched his arms and jumped down from the roof. He walked to the front of the gate, where the commander of the army was.

"Where is Vittorio?" Saito asked.

"He is currently underneath the Academy overseeing reconstruction." The commander said.

"When we win, I will need him to come to Tristainia as quickly as possible." Saito said. "If the people see him there, they will be happy to know that the world's armies are helping them. It could rally them to help defeat Germania in one way or another."

"He knows this." The commander said. "He has already prepared a speech for the city. Queen Charlotte and Queen Josette will also make an appearance there."

"I see." Saito said. "If that's all settled, then let's go."

Before leaving, Saito found Tiffa and had her walk with him at the front of the rest of the army. She was confused as to why he had her do this. After all, she had no fighting capabilities whatsoever.

"To make taking the capital back easier, I'll need you to subdue the soldiers in the city." Saito explained.

"But I don't have the power to do that." Tiffa protested.

"My powers as your familiar can take care of that." Saito said. "Just trust me."

Rather hesitantly, she nodded and began to walk with him. They had left in the afternoon with the intention of arriving at night. As night began to fall, a dove wearing a ribbon with Albion's crest stamped on it landed on Saito's shoulder.

On its leg, there was a small container which had a small paper inside of it. Saito pulled it out and began to read it.

"What does it say?" The commander said.

"It's from Wales. His army is stationed outside of Tristainia. He asks if he can began capturing the city." Saito said.

"That's excellent news!" The commander said.

"He says that if he were to start the attack, much of the city will be…flattened." Saito said.

"Flattened?" The commander asked.

"That's all that it says." Saito replied. "You're the commanding officer, what do you think?"

"If we can capture Tristain, then it is a necessary sacrifice. Tell him to give us time to evacuate any remaining citizens." The commander said.

Saito nodded and sent the bird back into the air. After about another five hours, the army could see Tristainia. It was dark, so it was hard to make out any details for everyone except Saito. When they were outside the city, Saito activated his eye, using it to identify where the remaining citizens were. They were held in prisons in various parts of the city.

"Commander," Saito said. "Have your army go into the city and evacuate the citizens. I will tell you of their location."

"Are you not going to help?" The commander asked.

"I'm going to use my powers to help Tiffa subdue the Germanians in the city." Saito said. "I'll only be able to hold it for about an hour and a half, so you will have to be quick. Send word to Wales's army to do the same."

The commandern nodded and sent a messenger pigeon in Wales's direction. Saito found Tiffa, who seemed quite afraid of the responsibility she now had. He put his hand on her shoulder to make her feel more comfortable.

"Ready?" He said.

"Yeah." She replied.

"Just cast the spell normally. I'll deal with the rest." He said.

She took a deep breath and began reciting her spell. For several minutes, she stood completely still with her wand pointed at the city. Soon, the rune on Saito's chest began to glow and a misty cloud of magic came out of her wand and enveloped the city like fog.

"Go now!" Saito said to the commander.

He nodded and instructed his men to enter the city. With his eyes, Saito could see everyone in the city, soldier or not, falling unconscious. He could also see Wales's army quickly entering the city. They quickly found the citizens in the prisons that Saito had directed them to. He was quickly becoming exhausted.

However, he managed to support Tiffa long enough for them to evacuate everyone. When everyone was evacuated, Saito collapsed onto the ground. He was gasping heavily and had no energy left in his body.

"Damn it. I'm really not going to enjoy dying again." He said to himself.

"Even if you died now, you'd come back to life anyway." Derf said.

"I don't think I'm going to die again yet." Saito said. "I still have some life force left from being Tiffa's familiar. I don't think I can fight, though."

The army's commander soon walked towards Saito, carrying a message from Wales.

"Hiraga, Wales has informed us that we should move as far away from the city as possible." He said.

"I see." Saito said.

He tried to stand, but could hardly even crawl on the ground. At this time, he noticed that Tiffa was also unconscious from casting such a powerful spell. The commander had soldiers carry them as they left the city. As they moved away, they could hear a commotion in the city as the Germanian soldiers realized what had happened. When Saito and the army were at the top of one of the hills surrounding the city, they decided to stop there.

"Wales said the attack would start approximately five minutes from now." The commander said.

Saito nodded and began to wait. Soon, the five minute mark arrived. In the darkness of the night around them, moving too fast for normal human eyes to see, Saito saw a ball of light move quickly and land in the city.

In the blink of an eye, a blinding ball of light enveloped the city, making everything seem as if the sun was in the sky. There was an eerie silence as everyone watched the awe inspiring sight. With his knowledge of modern weaponry, however, Saito quickly realized what would happen. He yelled for everyone to get down.

Just as everyone was on the ground, the shock wave from the explosion passed over them. The sound was deafening and disorientated several soldiers. When the violence subsided, the world was dark once again. Everyone's senses, including Saito's, were not functioning properly. When Saito finally recovered, he gazed from the hill upon the city.

His eyes widened when he saw the destruction that had befallen the capital. Like Wales had told the commander, the city was nearly leveled. Some stone buildings still stood, but were severely damaged.

"How…" Saito said to himself.

The first thoughts that crossed his mind were the images he used to see in history class of the ramification of the United States' use of nuclear weapons in August of 1945. The city was now identical to the pictures he saw of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

When the shock of what happened subsided, the army slowly marched into the remains of the city. As they walked through, they could see white silhouettes on walls and the ground of soldiers who were vaporized from the blast. Eventually, they came across Wales's soldiers, who were also scouting the city. Saito managed to stand on his own to greet them.

"Hello." He said. "I am Hiraga Saito."

"Ah yes." One of them said. "Sir Wales seems to hold you in high regard."

"If I may ask, how were you capable of this?" Saito asked.

"To be honest, I don't know the details." The soldier said. "You should ask him yourself. I'm sure he's be glad to talk to you."

"Yes. Please take me to him." Saito said.

The soldier nodded. He could see that Saito was feeling weak, so he supported him as they walked out of the city towards Wales's location. Eventually, they reached an encampment filled with Albion's soldiers.

The General who Wales spoke to before breaking through the Germanian blockade was the one who met them at the entrance.

"Private, who is this that you've brought here?" He asked.

"Sir! This is Hiraga Saito." The Private said, saluting.

The General was skeptical because Saito wasn't looking up. His head was slumped over with exhaustion, so no one could see his face. However, his identity was confirmed when the General spotted the tail that was attached to his back. It was more dimly lit than normal, but was still quite bright.

"Right this way." The general said.

He led Saito to a large tent in the centre of the encampment. Inside, there was a desk, a bed, and several chairs and books. The General, noticing how weak Saito really was, let him lay on Wales's bed.

"I'm sure he won't mind." He said. "He'll be here shortly."

"Thank you." Saito said.

He laid on the bed for several minutes, drifting in and out of consciousness. Eventually, he heard someone enter the tent. He opened his eyes and saw Wales standing above him with a smile on his face. Saito attempted to get up and bow towards him, but Wales forced him back onto the bed.

"You need to rest." He said. "You've worked hard."

"Thank you." Saito said. "How have you been?"

"When the war started, we weren't over the continent, so we had time to prepare." Wales said. "Things were going well, but we were pinned down by Germanian weapons for a while."

"I heard that you had help from someone to get past them." Saito said. "Who was it?"

"Your wife." Wales said.

"My…wife?" Saito said, rather confused.

"Yes. Louise is the one who broke past the Germanian line." Wales replied.

"Where is she?!" Saito said.

"Relax, she'll be back soon." Wales replied.

"No! I have to go find her!" Saito argued.

He quickly tried to get up, but the sudden movement made his head hurt. He began to feel lightheaded and soon, became unconscious. For several hours, he remained unconscious. When he woke up, it was midday. It took his eyes some time to adjust to the light.

When he could finally see, he saw a pair of bright, pink eyes staring down at him. It took him some time to even register that someone was staring down at him, let alone his own wife. When he realized that it was Louise who was smiling down at him, he instinctively pulled her down into a tight hug.

He pulled away from the hug, only to give her a long kiss. For a very long time, they remained in a tight embrace with their lips locked together. Eventually, Saito pulled away with tears of happiness streaming down his face.

"I missed you so much." He said, smiling and crying at the same time.

"I missed you too." Louise said, experiencing the same flood of emotions as Saito.

"Why did you come here?" He asked, holding her face between his hands. "I lied to keep you safe."

"I came because I wanted to help you." She said, leaning her head on his chest. "I knew that the way I was before, I could never be very helpful to you, so Sasha and Mariel helped me get stronger."

"Mariel?" Saito asked.

"Sasha's sister." Louise said.

She explained everything that happened since he left for the war. He listened closely as she described how Sasha had inspired her to strive to be Saito's equal, working with him by his side instead of using him as a shield. He was also very interested in listening to the story of how Mariel changed her body to allow her to use Void magic more easily.

"I'm proud of you." He said. "You went through a lot just to be next to me. I'm really grateful."

"Thank you." Louise said. "I'll keep getting stronger so that I'm not a burden."

"Wait, so you're the one that caused the explosion in the city?" He asked.

She nodded, seemingly proud of herself.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "I mean, every time you use void magic, you become really tired. You didn't push yourself too hard did you?"

"I'm fine." She said. "I'll show you how far I've come later."

"Okay. I'm just glad to see you again." He replied, giving her a hug.

They would spend the rest of the day telling each other stories about their exploits. Outside, Wales had made sure that no one would bother their time together as the soldiers celebrated retaking Tristain.

 **In Vindobona**

A messenger frightfully entered Albrecht's room. Albrecht was pacing around the room in a stressful anger. When he noticed the messenger, he sat on his chair and said nothing, waiting for the messenger to speak.

"U-Um, sir." The messenger began. "T-Tristain has fallen."

"I beg your pardon?" Albrecht said.

"Armies from Albion, Gallia, and Romalia have captured Tristain." He repeated. "The Gallian army have taken use of the weapons that they've retrieved from our defeated armies. They have used them to drive us out of Gallia."

In a violent rage, Albrecht shoved the glass cups and alcohol bottles on his desk onto the ground, shattering them. His face turned bright red as seemingly all of the blood in his body rushed to his face. When he finally calmed down, he looked back at the messenger.

"Where is Zerbst?!" He angrily asked.

"Our in Tristain had reported him to be near the Gallian border." The messenger said. "With the fall of Tristain, we cannot reach him any longer."

"What is the public opinion of the war?" He asked.

"Only 4% of the population are tolerant of it." The messenger said. "95% of the population is against it and only 1% still supports it."

"Withdraw all Germanian forces back into the country." Albrecht said. "There's only one chance I have at winning this war. Offer Germania's official surrender."

"Sir?" The messenger said.

"Do it!" Albrecht said. "Have a message sent that I am willing to discuss a conditional surrender!"

"Y-Yes sir." The messenger said.

Albrecht was left alone in his room. He had a rather deranged expression on his face. He thought about how the war had gone in a way he didn't predict, all because he had trusted Kirche to kill the two people who could have ever stopped him. Regardless of this, he still had confidence that if everything went according to plan, he could win the war and achieve his goal.

"This is my last chance." He thought to himself. "Once they're dead, I'll have nothing left to worry about. If I follow the directions that he left, power over everything will finally be mine."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Whooo, a Saturday chapter! I hope you like it. I enjoyed writing it, so I hope my efforts paid off. Leave a review or send me a PM with your thoughts. Because of the next few chapters, I will especially need you guys to tell me what you want to see in the future. Thanks anyway, and I'll catch you next time!**


	37. Chapter 37: Momentary Peace

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I took a break from writing yesterday because I had really bad migraines, so I didn't think staring at a computer screen all day was the best thing to do. But I'm back now with chapter 37! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **(WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A LEMON I.E. SEXUAL CONTENT! IF THIS BOTHERS YOU OR OFFENDS YOU, PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER!)**

 **Chapter 37: Momentary Peace**

The mood in the encampment was one of joy. The soldiers outside drank wine and ate food in a jovial mood. Music was played loudly and the men laughed and danced together. Wales himself was already quite drunk, as were the rest of the leaders of the world, who had arrived during the day.

Saito and Louise, however, remained together in Wales's tent. They had no intention of wasting the precious time they had together by socializing with the people outside. It had been so long since they had seen each other, so they wanted to spend every minute holding each other in a loving embrace

Perhaps as an unspoken favor, Wales made sure no one would bother them. He understood exactly how a young couple that was full of energy like them would react after being separated for so long.

"I'm sorry I left you." Saito said.

"It's okay." Louise replied. "It gave me a chance to realize that I wasn't strong enough."

She suddenly hit him on the head, making tears well up in his eyes with pain.

"Never lie to me again!" She said.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!" He said, fearing her now more than ever.

She smiled and rubbed his head where she hit him. His eyes were closed out of fear, but they opened when he felt her gentle hands touch his head. They stared wistfully into each other's eyes. Eyes that they held dear to their hearts, but were unable to see again until that day.

Slowly, their faces inched steadily forward, closing the already quite short distance between them. When their lips were millimeters apart, almost as if he feared Louise would disappear, Saito pulled her towards himself, locking their lips together.

She was understandably surprised by his sudden action, but soon let herself be pulled into a passionate kiss. Their tongues fought for dominance in their mouths. As Louise pushed herself onto him, he let her take over, succumbing to her feminine charm.

The feeling of each other's lips made both of them feel very hot. Slowly as they kissed, she removed Saito's shirt. He was already quite aroused as they kissed, but it was made worse (or better?) as his brain processed the feeling of her hands on his body.

In response, Saito removed her shirt as well, revealing the black lingerie that covered her slightly larger, but still quite petite breasts. The lingerie reminded Saito of the cat outfit she wore so long ago, although she would currently have no recollection of ever wearing something as promiscuous as that.

She guided his hands towards her chest, much to Saito's delight. He slowly removed her bra, making sure to watch her face for any sign of disapproval. When her bra was off, Saito couldn't help but stare at her bare chest, making feel very self-conscious.

"Stop staring so much…" She told him, covering her chest with her arms.

"It's only natural to stare at a gem." He replied, slowly moving her arms away.

Saito gave her a hug, making her feel much more comfortable. Saito began to suck on her breasts, almost like he was child. The strange feeling made Louise's cheeks turn red and her skin become moist with sweat.

Becoming very uncomfortable, Saito removed his pants, allowing his throbbing penis to breathe the cool, spring air. Louise's face turned bright red as she looked down at him. Suddenly, Saito understood why Louise felt so embarrassed.

"I'm sorry!" He said, covering himself up.

"It's okay…" Louise said, a little embarrassed.

She decided to undress as well, in an attempt at making Saito feel more comfortable. Both now entirely naked, they felt a little better. Although they had done this sort of thing before, it was still quite embarrassing for both of them.

Regardless, they continued to explore each other's bodies, kissing each other and touching each other, getting more and more aroused. Soon, and rather unexpectedly, Louise grabbed Saito and, without hesitation, began to lick his…ahem…'manhood'.

The sudden feeling caused Saito to let out a slight wince, although the feeling of discomfort he had at first soon subsided. Normally, he argued against her doing such things because he believed that she shouldn't do anything she didn't like, but she had moved quickly this time. He felt so good, that he chose to just let it happen.

The feeling of her tongue made him shiver with pleasure. This feeling was amplified when he felt her mouth completely engulf him. The back and forth motion stimulated him until he was just about to give in. Just in time, he managed to get her to stop. She understood what that must have meant, so she snickered, almost as if she was laughing at his weakness.

In response, he pinned her down onto the bed. He kissed her on her lips then her neck and chest, making his way down to the oh-so sensitive area between her legs. She squealed with pleasure as he used his mouth and tongue artfully to play her like he would an instrument.

With her breathing quickly becoming heavier, she pushed Saito's head away to spare her her blushes. Amused, Saito gave her a few moments to compose herself. Her chest moved up and down as she took in several deep breaths. Eventually, she calmed down enough to speak again.

"I-I'm ready…" She said.

Saito immediately understood what she meant, and wasted no time in doing as she wanted him to. He had planned, for the first time, to be quite rough with her. As much as he would have hated to admit it, it was always a fantasy of his to be as rough as he wanted with a girl.

However, all of his plans disappeared when he saw her laying beneath him, readying herself for what was to come. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were red. Her skin looked very smooth and moist, and Saito could hear her taking fast breaths.

Completely disregarding his previous fantasies and delusions, he softly gave her a kiss as he slowly moved inside of her. She happily accepted his kiss and immediately gave him permission to move. Still keeping their lips locked together, Saito began to move his hips.

Every time he pulled out, he felt as if her insides pulled him back in. Every in and out cycle, Louise would let out a moan, which only served to make Saito more excited. As he moved back and forth, he kissed her neck, making her wrap her arms around him.

Pleasure began to build in both of their bodies until it was soon to overflow. Not wanting to end like this, Louise forced Saito below him and took control of the situation. He watched her breasts bounce as she moved up and down on him.

Soon, Saito could not hold himself back any longer. He pulled her down into a kiss, during which, they both reached their limits, climaxing together. They remained tense for a few seconds as pleasure surged throughout their bodies, then melted onto the bed.

Louise fell onto Saito, extremely exhausted from their 'ordeal'. He wrapped his arms around her, making sure they were as close as possible. After a short while, Louise fell asleep. Soon after, Saito followed suit as well.

Saito woke up the next morning lying in bed. He yawned and got up, picking up his clothes and getting dressed. After placing his crown on his head, he stepped out of the tent. Several soldiers were sleeping on the ground, clearly from drinking too much. Sitting on a pile of boxes was Wales, who was clearly experiencing a hangover. His eyes looked glum and his mannerisms seemed especially sad.

"Lord Wales, how are you?" Saito asked.

"Well, I had to sleep out here last night because of your excursion." Wales said.

"I'm pretty sure you're only in a bad mood because you drank too much." Saito replied.

"It doesn't matter. Just make sure everything in the tent that you used last night gets burned, alright?" Wales said.

"Sure thing." Saito replied, embarrassed. "Where is Louise, by the way?"

"She went to the hills over there." Wales replied, pointing north.

"Thanks." Saito said.

Leaving Wales looking quite irritable, Saito went towards the hills to find Louise. He chose to walk at a normal pace, as the weather was becoming warm and the sky was clear. He walked for about an hour until he finally reached the hills that Wales spoke of. Because of the weather, they were now covered with soft green grass.

Sure enough, sitting atop one of the tallest one, was Louise. She was looking up at the sky with a happy expression on her face. He slowly snuck up behind her, then gave her a tight hug, which surprised her enough to accidentally hit him. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but she was much stronger now than before, so it genuinely hurt.

"Serves you right!" She said when she realized it was him.

"For what?!" Saito asked, holding his nose.

She pointed at her neck, which confused Saito. Upon further inspection, he saw two small, red, circular scars.

"You bit me!" She said.

"When…" Saito thought to himself.

He then remembered the night before. In his enthusiasm, he kissed Louise's neck, but he must have been overly exuberant and accidently pierced her neck with his sharp fangs.

"I-I'm sorry…" He said, feeling extremely sad.

"Hey, it's okay." Louise said, taking note of how hard he took it. "I was just teasing. I don't mind that you did it."

"Thanks." He said, giving her a hug. "I'm just so happy to see you again. I don't want to hurt you."

"You don't have to worry about me anymore." She said, turning away from him.

"What kind of husband would I be if I didn't? What kind of a father would I be?" He replied, holding her from behind and putting his hands on her belly.

The gesture made Louise extremely happy. She held his hands as well, imagining the future they would soon have together. Saito, too, thought about how happy they would soon be. All he had to do was defeat Germania and the Ancient Dragon. After that, he would figure out how he was sent back in time, then he could live in peace.

"Hey Louise." Saito said. "We should probably keep your pregnancy secret, right?"

"How come?" She asked.

"Well, if any enemies find out, you could be in danger." He said.

"Well, I guess we have no reason to tell anyone unless we're asked." She replied. "I just don't like keeping secrets."

"What secrets?" Said someone behind them, making them jolt.

Henrietta had come to retrieve them for a meeting. In the midst of their conversation, they had failed to hear her walking up to them.

"What secrets?" She asked again.

"W-Well…it's nothing." Louise said.

"You've always been a poor liar." Henrietta said. "You can tell me later, we have to have a meeting."

"A meeting? What for?" Saito asked.

"Germania has offered its surrender." Henrietta replied. "We must hurry."

Saito and Louise nodded. Louise held Henrietta's hand and they ran as fast as possible, arriving at the meeting tent almost immediately. Inside, they saw the leaders of all the nations involved with the war. Vittorio, Wales, Charlotte, Josette, Alex, and Shion were all sitting around a large table. Saito and Louise sat on two chairs that were pulled out for them.

"We are here to discuss Germania's offer for a conditional surrender." Wales said. "They wish for all of us to meet on neutral ground to draw up a treaty."

"It could be a trap." Saito said. "All of Halkeginia's leaders meeting under one roof? Alex, Shion, Louise, and myself could all survive if something happened, but as for the rest of you, it could end the war in Germania's favor."

"Saito's right." Alex said. "Germania still has a significant amount of military power within its borders, so why would they surrender now?"

"Perhaps because of their constant defeats of late, they realize that they cannot fight so many nations at once." Wales said.

"Even so, if this is a genuine surrender, it is not a chance we can pass up." Josette said.

"Agreed." Henrietta said. "I suggest we begin to write drafts of each of our demands in the event of a treaty, and then go meet with Germania's leaders. We will, of course, have armed guards with us, so should the Germanians try something, we will not die."

"We should station our armies around the meeting area." Wales said. "If we take enough precautions, we should be okay."

"When is this meeting supposed to take place?" Louise asked.

"One month." Josette said.

"That gives us time to prepare, but it also gives them time for planning." Louise said. "I suppose there is nothing we can do, so we should go and begin thinking of demands."

"Agreed. This meeting is over. You may do as you please." Wales said.

"One more thing." Saito said quickly. "If the Germanians do anything out of the ordinary, I would like permission to kill Albrecht myself."

Everyone in the room looked at Saito with surprise. It was strange for him to make such a vile request. He had a widely known hatred of killing, so the fact that he wanted permission to kill someone was shocking to everyone.

"I suppose a vote is in order." Wales said. "Raise your hand if you wish to grant him that request."

After their shock subsided, everyone in the room raised their hand. They all felt as if regardless of whether they agreed or not, he would end up doing it anyway. Most of them did not know exactly why he had such a grudge against Albrecht, but from the look in his eyes, they could see that something serious must have happened between them.

"Thank you." Saito said.

He bowed and left the room. His agitation showed in the way he walked, the way his tail moved from side to side.

"What exactly happened between those two?" Vittorio asked.

"Albrecht attempted to kill him more than once." Louise asked. "I suppose this is supposed to be classified, but on his mission to assassinate Joseph, Albrecht had sent…someone to kill him."

She had refrained from mentioning that this someone was Shion, who looked guilty about what happened. Luckily, no one noticed her brief look of sadness.

"And what of the second time?" Vittorio asked.

"I don't know the details exactly, but he somehow had one of our friends give us poison." Louise said. "Luckily, Saito sensed the poison in time, and we avoided being killed."

"So Albrecht tried to kill his wife…" Wales said. "I suspect he's angrier about that than the attempts on his own life."

"No wonder he made such a request." Vittorio said.

He sighed and got up, leaving the tent to begin writing down what he wanted from Germania after the war. Everyone else in the room left to do the same. Louise walked out of the tent, looking for Saito. For hours, she searched until finally, she saw him sitting atop a very large tree.

She could see that he was irritated, so she climbed the tree and sat next to him. She could feel the heat coming off of him, so she rubbed his shoulders, making him calm down. Now feeling better, he gave her a kiss, then looked up at the sky.

"What do you want from Germania?" He asked.

"Hm? Well, I don't know." She said. "I have to think as a leader, so I suppose land and materials."

"Considering our contribution to the war, I think we should definitely get land, weapons, and resources." Saito said. "By the way, you don't seem very worried about the meeting. Aren't you afraid of Germania hiding something or trying to kill us."

"Saito, what can you see with your eyes?" She asked.

"Well, I can see anything that's alive and I can see really far away. Why?" He replied.

"My eyesight is better ever since I was changed by Mariel, but it's still not on your level." She said. "So I decided that there has to be a better way for me to see any threats that are around."

"How did you figure it out?" He asked.

"Sasha taught me several ways to utilize my void magic." She said. "She thought that I should do my best to modify my explosion spells, so I started training with her to do just that. So…"

She put her hand on the tree and closed her eyes. Saito could see a pulse of magic quickly leave her hand in all directions. It went for several miles, further than the eye could see. She then opened her eyes and looked back at Saito.

"27 kilometers away, 40 degrees north east, there is a pack of six adult wolves and two pups eating a male moose together. It looks to be about 950 pounds." She said.

"What?" He said.

"Check for yourself." She said.

He looked in the direction she had told him to and sure enough, her description of the seen was entirely accurate. He was extremely surprised and quite afraid that at any time she wanted, she could watch him with great detail.

"There is also a system of small caves underground that contain several wild ground dragons. It is directly below us." She said.

"Wait, how can you see underground?" He asked.

"I sent a very weak explosion into the ground. However, instead of simply shooting it out of my body, I kept a small string of magic connected to it. Once the explosion entered the cave, I could clearly see everything in there." She said.

"Did Sasha teach you to do that?" He asked.

"Yes." Louise said. "She and Mariel taught me a bunch of things."

"So that's why you're not afraid. You'll be able to see anything that's hidden." He said with admiration.

"Yep, we have nothing to worry about, but it's still best to bring soldiers with us." She replied.

"Yeah. Are you going to tell anyone that you can do that?" He asked.

"No way. No one needs to know." She replied.

"I thought you don't like keeping secrets…" He retorted.

"Well, I can keep some secrets." She said. "It's so nice to have a month without war…"

"Only a month though, and who knows what happens after that." He replied, standing up to jump out of the tree.

"Relax." Louise said. "The war might as well be over."

"Yeah…" Saito replied.

He picked her up and jumped out of the tree. Although his face was happy, in his head, he was thinking dire thoughts. It came to his attention that Germania had used a multitude of weapons from his world. Guns, gas, mines, all of them were employed against him at some point.

"What other weapons could they have..?" He thought to himself. "I have to put an end to this quickly.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Okay, I know this chapter is very late, but I could not help it. I've been seriously ill lately, so I wrote a little bit every day and managed to get this out before the week is over. I hope you guys liked it. I honestly don't know when the next chapter will be out. It depends on my condition. Don't worry, there will not be some 1-2 week long hiatus, but I can't promise a chapter within the next 5 days. I suppose time will tell. Anyway, thanks for reading! Send me a review or a PM. Happy holidays to everyone! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, whatever you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it! See you next time!**


	38. Chapter 38: Hide and Seek

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I'm feeling a little better, so I might manage to get two chapters out this week. Sorry for the delays. By the way, this story 'arc' is going to end soon, so if you have any suggestions for the future, please send me a pm and let me know. Thanks in advance! Enjoy chapter 38!**

 **Chapter 38: Hide and Seek**

One week after the allied leaders met to discuss Germania's proposed surrender, Saito and Louise were in the woods playing hide and seek with each other. Because their meeting with Germania would be in three weeks, they had a lot of free time during the cease-fire to relax and enjoy themselves.

At the moment, it was Louise hiding away from Saito. As he was searching, he regretted not setting rules about how far she could go. He wasn't, of course, allowed to use his powers. After searching for a few minutes, he was about to give up. As he walked through the forest, he saw a dark cave. The optimal place to hide for someone playing hide and seek.

As he walked closer to it, he thought that it might be dangerous to just go into a cave without having any information about it. Still, he did not want to cheat at his game of hide and seek, so he decided to rely on his basic senses.

As soon as he entered the cave, his ears twitched slightly. He heard the sound of breathing, so he immediately assumed that somewhere in the cave, Louise was trying her best to stay silent. However, he noticed that the breathing sounded extremely heavy and rather inhuman. Now driven more by curiosity than his desire to find Louise, he ventured deeper into the cave.

With his excellent eye sight, he was soon able to see clearly. He noticed that what he thought was a single cave was actually a system of several tunnels and caverns. Following his ears, he followed the sound of breathing throughout the cave system.

Eventually, he reached a large opening. Beneath him was a drop of several dozens of feet, at the bottom of which was complete darkness. However, he was absolutely sure that the sound was coming from down there.

Using his tail as a torch, he slowly climbed down to the bottom of the chasm. When his feet touched the ground, he felt that it was unusually warm for such a dark place. He could also hear that the breathing was directly in front of him.

Lifting his tail to illuminate his path, he saw several white tails with very fine fur laying on the ground before him. Paralyzed with fear from the knowledge that several unknown creatures were in front of him. Completely forgetting about his game of hide and seek, he turned on the power of his eyes to get a better look of what was in front of him.

He nearly fell over in shock at what he saw. Instead of the multitude of horrendous abominations he expected to see, he saw a single, sleeping dragon. It was wingless and was covered with short, black hair. On its head were four white horns, with the front two being shorter than the back two. Its legs were hairless, with black scales instead of hair.

It had six tails on its body and was about ten feet long without them. It was also quite tall, with its shoulders being much higher than Saito's head. It's body, although slender, was quite muscular. If Saito was not extremely afraid, he would have thought it looked quite cool. As he slowly backed away in an attempt to leave, its eyes shot open. At this point, Saito was about 40 feet away from it from his attempt to retreat.

Its irises were a bold pink while its sclera were bright orange. The pupils in the eyes were very big at the moment because of how dark it was. They brilliantly glowed in the dark, making it seem as if a pair of eyes were floating in the air.

Frightened, Saito stayed completely still. It slowly got up and stared directly into his eye. As Saito was locked in place by its glare, he slowly reached for Derf, who hung from his back. However, as soon as his hand made contact with Derf, the dragon seemed to instantly appear in front of him. Even Saito's eyes were incapable of seeing how it got so close to him so quickly.

It's face and Saito's were now inches apart. It didn't move, but continued to stare at him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. After about a minute, it laid down in front of him and closed its eyes, seemingly falling asleep. Confused, Saito attempted to climb out of the cavern, but as soon as he did, the beast opened its eyes again, staring directly at him.

"Hey Gandalfr." Saito said in his mind. "What the hell is this?"

"What do you mean?" Gandalfr asked.

"This dragon. Why's it keeping me here?" Saito said.

"Perhaps it likes you." Gandalfr said, mocking Saito.

"What kind of dragon is it?" Saito asked.

Before Gandalfr could reply, the beast got up and began to poke Saito's head with its snout. Every so often, it would look into his eyes again, then begin poking him once more. Eventually, it seemed to give up and laid back down.

"What the hell was that about?" Saito said.

"Perhaps…" Gandalfr began. "Could it be that it hears me?"

"It's a dragon, not a psychic." Saito said.

"It's worth attempting to find out, isn't it?" Gandalfr replied.

Again, just as Saito was going to respond, the dragon began to tap his head again. Through this entire time, it didn't make a single sound, only repeating the same actions over and over again. Once again, it seemed to give up and lay back on the ground again.

"So you're saying this thing can see inside my head?" Saito asked.

"Give it a shot, you never know." Gandalfr replied.

Saito sighed, hating how stupid his current situation was. Realizing that there was no way for the dragon to know Japanese or Halkeginian, he closed his eyes and began to imagine images instead. Because he was quite hungry, he thought about putting meat in his mouth. This wasn't what he wanted to think, but it was all he could think about.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes. The dragon was nowhere to be seem. Saito hadn't even heard it leave, so he began to think something in the cave's air may be making him crazy. He closed his eyes and laid on the ground, rubbing his head.

To his surprise, when he got up, the dragon was back dragging a dead deer in its jaws. It paid no attention to him and dragged the deer into a darker part of the cave. For several minutes, Saito could hear meat being torn apart, but because he had subconsciously returned his eyes back to normal, he couldn't see anything.

After a while, the dragon came back and dropped a large amount of raw meat in front of him. Much to his surprise, instead of trying to get him to eat it, which he had expected it to do, it began to burn it with a soft blue flame which it breathed from within itself.

Very quickly, the meat was cooked. The dragon then sat down in front of him, looking like it expected him to eat, which he did almost immediately. Tears nearly flowed out of his eyes as the great taste of perfectly cooked meet met his tongue.

"I guess this means it can see inside my head, huh?" Saito said.

"I was right." Gandalfr said.

Realizing that it would be rude (if it's possible to be rude to a dragon) to eat the meat alone, so he offered some to the beast. It looked like it desperately wanted to eat, but it turned away rather sadly. Saito was confused, but kept eating anyway. When he was done, he stretched his arms and legs, then turned to look at the dragon.

"Thank you." He said.

He reached out to rub it's head, which it had no problem with, as it remained completely motionless. However, as soon as Saito finger made contact with its fur, his head was flooded with numerous images. It was extremely overwhelming, so he was relieved when it was finally over.

"You okay, Partner?" Derf said. "I was asleep. Where the hell are we?"

Saito didn't respond. He needed time to process all of the images that went through his head. Derf turned his attention to the floating pair of eyes that stared directly at him.

"Saito, what the hell is that?" He said.

"O-Oh. It's a dragon and…I think it wants help." Saito said.

He lifted its tail up to the dragon's neck, where he saw a large scar.

"What happened to you, Saito?" Derf asked.

"When I touched it, I think I saw its memories." Saito said. "I didn't see all of them, it was just too much."

"I'm not sure I understand, but okay." Derf said.

Saito touched the scar on its neck. He closed his eyes and fed magic into its body. He could 'see' the damage that was inflicted to it. Its vocal chords were completely destroyed and its esophagus was scarred, still slightly bleeding from its injuries.

Slowly, he began to heal its wounds. It was, however, extremely difficult to do because the wound was infused with a strange magic. Every time Saito healed a part of the wound, it seemed to revert back to its injured state. He had to use more and more power to heal it until the magic within the wound ran out. It was quite painful for the dragon, but it seemed to understand that Saito was helping it. After several minutes, he moved his hand away and wiped away the sweat that built up on his forehead.

He looked at the dragon, waiting for a response. Suddenly, it jumped up onto its feet. It took in a deep breath, then let out an extremely loud roar, which nearly scared Saito into running away. After the sound subsided, it began to happily jump around the room, letting out high pitched, dog-like, yelps of happiness, in complete contrast to the frightening roar it let out moments before.

It then walked back up to Saito and put its snout on his chest as a 'hug'. He rubbed its furry head, feeling elated that it wasn't in pain anymore. He had never particularly liked animals, but this time, he somehow felt different about the animal that was so grateful to him. In fact, his whole body felt different. He couldn't quite explain it, but something was off.

As the thought crossed his mind, the runes on his arm began to glow brightly. For a few seconds, they were blindingly bright, then stopped glowing altogether. He was very confused and fearful, but the dragon cuddling with him momentarily took away those thoughts.

"I'd love to stay here with you for a little longer, buddy, but I have to go find Louise." He said. "I'll make sure to visit you, okay?"

He got up and jumped out of the chasm, quickly making his way to the cave's entrance. Thinking he left the dragon behind, he started walking through the woods, looking for Louise. However, as he walked, he thought he was hearing more footsteps than normal.

When he turned around, thinking he was being followed, there was nothing there. Imagining he was hearing things, he kept walking. Soon, though, he heard more footsteps. This time, however, he didn't turn around.

"Hey Derf." He said quietly. "Is there someone behind me? If there is, are they an enemy or an ally?"

"Well, there's no one behind you." Derf said. "But there is definitely something behind you."

"Stop with the cryptic nonsense." Saito said.

As fast as he could, he turned around, but yet again, there was nothing there.

"Damn it, Derf!" Saito exclaimed. "Stop messing with me!"

"I'm not." Derf said. "That dragon from the cave is behind you. It's fast though."

Saito remained completely still. Sure enough, he could hear the same breathing that he had heard in the cave.

"Alright, buddy. I know you're there." He said.

Sure enough, the dragon seemed to appear in front of Saito out of thin air.

"Looks like you've made a friend." Derf said. "Maybe you should keep him."

"I have no idea how to take care of a dragon." Saito said. "I've never even encountered a dragon like this."

"All the more reason to keep him." Derf replied. "Besides, every hero needs an epic mount by his side."

"Don't tease me, Derf." Saito said. "I guess having a companion like him isn't a bad thing."

He smiled at the beast, rubbing the soft fur on its head. Out of nowhere, it grabbed his shirt with its mouth and threw him onto its back.

"I guess you like me too, huh?" He said.

As he smiled at the fact that he now had such a fine companion, his thoughts turned back to finding Louise. She was, to Saito's knowledge, extremely competitive, so she would keep hiding until she was found. Thinking about how he could find her, he felt his companion preparing to start running.

He closed his eyes, expecting an extreme amount of wind to burn his eyes momentarily. Much to his surprise, however, there was no such feeling. In fact, it felt as if the dragon simply leaped from one point to another.

Thinking it was a false alarm and the dragon was just stretching, he opened his eyes. To his great surprise, when he looked down, there was Louise, hiding inside a large tree. She hadn't even noticed that he was there. In fact, it was quite a while before her ears picked up the sound of someone else's presence in the area.

When she looked to her left, there was Saito atop a massive, black, furred dragon. Her heart skipped several beat as the fear of the beast crept into her.

"Don't worry." Saito said. "He's friendly."

Her face showed that she wasn't convinced. Saito jumped to the ground and rubbed her hair to calm her down.

"W-What is that?" She said.

"It's a dragon I met in a cave not far from here." Saito replied. "At first, I thought he was a normal ground dragon."

"Ground dragons only have one tail and they certainly do not have fur!" Louise exclaimed.

"I know. He's not normal." Saito replied.

He held her hand and rather forced her to rub the dragon's head. Unlike Saito, she did not experience the same rush of images when she touched it, but she did at least see that the dragon was quite friendly.

"I'm going to keep him." Saito said. "He asked for my help and I feel like we have a bond."

"What do you mean he asked for your help?" She asked.

"I'll explain later." Saito said. "Either way, looks like I won!"

"You cheated!" She said, as her competitive spirit came back to her.

"You never said I couldn't use a dragon to find you." He replied as he got back on it's back. "Speaking of which, we should give him a name."

"You found him, so you name him." Louise said, still irritated.

When the dragon heard of them thinking of a name, it became quite agitated. It began to claw at a tree, creating the same pattern over and over again.

"What is that?" Saito asked.

"Maybe that's the name someone gave it?" Louise said. "I memorized the symbol, so we can ask someone if they know what language it's from. It doesn't look like Halkeginian."

"I feel like I've seen it somewhere before…" Saito said. "Oh well, we should probably go back to base. It's getting dark. Get on his back."

"But we're faster than any dragons out there except maybe Sylphid." Louise said. "Wouldn't it be faster to run?"

"Trust me, just get on." Saito said.

Hesitantly, she climbed onto the dragon's back. She wrapped her arm around Saito's waist, prepared for the dragon to start running. She felt the dragon tense up and closed her eyes. After the feeling that the dragon had jumped a very short distance, she opened her eyes. She was shocked to see that they had arrived at the camp.

"H-Hey Saito! H-How?" She said.

However, Saito was also in a state of shock. It was the first time his eyes remained open while the dragon travelled, and what he saw was quite strange. Instead of seeing it jump through the forest and seeing the trees fly past him, it looked as if the space between the camp and themselves folded together so that they were only a few feet away.

In a moment, he combed through all of the information in his head regarding what had just happened, but came up short. Eventually, Louise managed to get through to him.

"Oh sorry, I spaced out for a second there." Saito said. "What's wrong?"

"How did we get here so quickly?" She asked.

"Um…I don't know." Saito said. "I had my eyes closed."

As they rode on their dragon through the camp, many soldiers looked terrified, while many of them also thought it was cool. Eventually, they reached their tent, which was quite large, and walked inside with him.

"Until we figure out what that symbol means, let's call him…Hayai." Saito said.

"What does that mean?" Louise asked.

"It means 'fast' in Japanese." Saito said.

"Oh. It's a nice name." Louise said.

"Take care of him, Louise." Saito said. "I'm going to find Colbert. Maybe he can figure out something about this symbol."

"Got it." Louise said.

He left the tent and looked around the Tristainia, which was now being rebuilt by the allied nations. He saw Colbert holding blueprints for a new royal palace. He ran up to him happily, having not seen him in months.

"Master Colbert!" He said.

"Ah, Saito! It's been too long!" He said.

Colbert's eyes widened when he saw Saito closer.

"What happened? You look…different." He said.

"Oh, Gandalfr stuff. I need you to do something for me." Saito said.

"Of course. Anything for a hero like you." Colbert replied.

"I need you to see if you can find out anything about this symbol." Saito said, handing him a paper which he drew the strange symbol on.

"Sure thing. I'll see what I can find." He said.

"Thank you!" Saito replied. "By the way, where is Osmond?"

"Oh, he's in Albion at the moment helping to organize the ranks of the allied mages." He said.

"Oh. Tell him I said hi." Saito replied.

"Sure thing!" Colbert said, as he waved bye to Saito.

Saito quickly arrived back at his tent. When he walked inside, he saw Louise happily rubbing Hayai's belly. They both looked at Saito when he walked into the room. He was happy to see that they were getting along.

"Did you find out anything?" She asked.

"I gave Colbert the symbol, but he seemed very busy, so it could be a while before he finds anything." Saito said. "It looks like you two are getting along."

"He's so cute!" Louise said, rubbing her face on its soft belly.

He rubbed Hayai's belly, much to the dragon's delight.

"Yeah, I guess we don't need to know what he is just yet." Saito said.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I decided that I wanted to give you one chapter per day until Christmas day as a sort of present to you. I hope you liked this chapter. It was a little bit more relaxed, which is what I wanted it to be because I thought things were somewhat stressed. Please send in a review or a PM about your thoughts on this chapter, past ones, future ones, or just the story in general. Thanks again, guys! I'll see you next time!**


	39. Chapter 39: War Continues

**Author's Notes:**

 **Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I told you I'd give you a chapter per day until Christmas, but I decided it would be more 'present-like' to give you two on Christmas day. Admittedly, I started writing this a little late in the day (12:45 pm), so I had to work non stop to get it done. Hopefully it turns out well. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 39: War Continues**

Saito brought a large sack of meat inside of his tent. Inside, waiting with a great amount of anticipation, was Hayai, Saito's new 'pet' ground dragon. By now, it had been two weeks since he found the dragon in the depths of a cave, and he had constantly had to bring it meat, as it had not eaten at all because of its injured throat.

"God, you eat a lot." Saito said as it wolfed down the meat he brought for it. "But it seems like you're feeling happy, so I guess it's okay."

"You're such a softy." Derf said.

"No, I'm just human." Saito replied.

"A lot of humans wouldn't do this, you know." Derf said. "Besides, having a soft heart is a good thing. It allows you to care for others. When you care for others, you have more to live for when the fighting begins."

"I guess so…" Saito said staring at Louise, who was taking a nap on their bed.

At this time, Alex burst into the tent and hugged Saito from behind.

"Why don't you come to visit?!" He said, acting like a child.

"You're older than me, act your age." Saito said, squinting in agitation.

"Come on! We're friends! It's oka-" Alex began.

He stopped short when he noticed the black furred creature staring directly at him. Experiencing immense fear, he hid behind Saito, shivering.

"What the hell is that?!" He said, quietly.

"Oh, that's Hayai. My companion. He's some kind of ground dragon, but I don't know which kind yet." Saito replied.

"Does he bite?" Alex asked.

"Why don't you go find out." Saito replied.

Alex gulped and slowly walked closer. He reached his hand out, trying to touch the dragon's head. Much to his surprise, it moved its head towards him, allowing him to rub its fur. No longer fearful, Alex petted the dragon's fur more openly, even going so far as to hug its head.

"He's so nice! How'd you find him?" Alex asked.

"I found him in a cave a few weeks ago." Saito replied. "He was hurt by some kind of strange magic, so I healed him and he decided to stick with me. I'd say he's my friend, not my pet."

"So cool…" Alex said. "Why does he have six tails?"

"Like I said, I don't know what kind of ground dragon he is." Saito said. "So what did you come here for?"

"Oh, right." Alex said, remembering why he came to see Saito. "Our meeting with Germania has been moved forward. We're to meet tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Saito said. "But that's so soon!"

"Albrecht refuses to meet any later. From what I hear, his health is compromised, so he wants to bring Germania out of war in case he dies."

"What is he up to?" Saito said to himself.

He sat on the bed that Louise slept on and stroked her hair.

"Don't even think about leaving for the meeting without me." She suddenly said, revealing that she was awake.

"Uhhh, don't worry, I wasn't." Saito said, trying his best to lie.

"You're a poor liar." She said, sitting up to face him.

They stared at each other for a few moments, but their somewhat romantic moment was interrupted as Alex jumped to hug Louise, holding her in his arms.

"Louise! It's been too long!" He said, rubbing his cheek on hers.

"It's been two weeks…" She replied, feeling quite irritated.

Seeing that Alex was at risk of taking an explosion at point blank range, he lifted him away with his tail.

"Where is Shion?" Louise asked.

"She's taking our list of surrender conditions to Wales." Alex replied. "You guys should take yours too."

"Right. Thanks for telling us." Saito said.

Alex nodded and left the tent. Saito and Louise hurried to gather their draft of their demands. Because they had to think of themselves as leaders, they demanded quite a large portion of western Germania, as well as a large amount of monetary compensation, a significant portion of their armed forces, and detailed records of the Germanian government's actions before the war.

They left their tent riding on Hayai and quickly made their way to Wales's tent. Because of the short distance, the dragon chose to simply run there, although even like this, it was much faster than Saito or Louise. When they arrived, they walked inside without making their presence known beforehand.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the best time for them to walk in unannounced, as Wales was having an "intimate moment" with Henrietta. Saito and Louise froze in place with their eyes wide open. When Wales noticed the two bright red faces that were behind Henrietta, who was on top of him, he ket out a shout and covered himself and his partner with a blanket.

Saito and Louise quickly left the tent and waited outside, with their faces bright red with embarrassment. After a few minutes, Wales's head poked out of the tent, flushed bright red.

"What do you want?" He said, trying his best to sound official.

"Ahem! We just wanted to drop off our demands for the treaty." Saito said, refusing to look Wales in the eye.

"Thank you. Good day to you." Wales said quickly, taking the rolled up paper from Saito's hand.

Saito and Louise got back on their dragon and rode away into the woods. They needed time to process what they had seen, so they went to a secluded area and got off of Hayai. The laid their heads on the soft fur of his belly and did their best to rid their minds of what they had seen.

"So tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Saito finally said.

"The war could end tomorrow. It all depends on what Germania's conditions are." Louise replied.

"Germania will try to do something to us, so we need to be careful." Saito said. "You have to be careful."

"No need to worry." Louise said. "I won't eat any food there and I'll know the location of any hidden weapons. And with your eyes, you'll know the location of the Germanian army before we even arrive. We have nothing to worry about."

"I guess you're right." Saito said. "It's getting dark. We should go to bed."

She nodded and gave him a kiss, making his cheeks turn red. He put his hand on her cheek and gave her a long, warm kiss in return. She smiled and jumped onto Hayai, with Saito following suit. When they arrived back at their tent, they laid on the dragon's belly rather than their bed and soon, fell asleep.

 **In Vindobona**

The increasingly unstable Albrecht of Germania prepared for his meeting with the allied powers. The treaties that he ordered to be printed were laying on his table, waiting to be signed by each of the opposing leaders. As he looked at his mirror, making sure his clothing was in order, one of his guards entered his room.

"Sir, it is time to depart." He said.

"Very well." Albrecht replied. "Make sure I arrive before the enemy leaders."

"Yes, my lord." The guard said.

"And be careful with those documents." Albrecht said as he walked out of his room. "They are, of course, very important."

"Yes, my lord." The guard replied. "How shall the military be stationed?"

"What is the range of our heavy artillery, in the event that we need to use it?" Albrecht asked.

"Approximately ten kilometers." The guard replied.

"Station them at five kilometers. Make sure they're hidden." Albrecht said.

"Very well, sir." The guard replied.

They made their way outside, where a carriage was waiting to take Albrecht to the meeting location, a valley in a valley that was located on the Tristain-Germanian border, where a Germanian mountain range split the two countries apart. As he sat in his carriage and prepared for the long trip south, the various possibilities of what could happen ran through his head.

In a matter of hours, he arrived at his destination, a large, circular, wooden gazeebo at the bottom of a valley. He had his guards inspect the area and prepare it for the enemy's arrival. As he ordered, a large battalion was stationed 5 kilometers away above the valley. They had strict orders not to fire unless given authorization.

"Everything is in order." His guards said.

"Good. Wait outside and inform me of their arrival." Albrecht replied.

The guards bowed and stood outside the gate to the building. During this time, Albrecht took the chance to get some sleep for the first time in weeks. However, unfortunately for him, his sleep was not restful. Because of the stress of the war, his mental health took a turn for the worse. When he was awake, he suffered from hallucinations and migraines, but when he slept, he was haunted by nightmares.

Despite all of this, he was determined to win the war, no matter what he had to do to succeed.

 **In Tristania**

In the early morning, Saito and Louise prepared to depart for the meeting. Saito chose to wear a long dark blue coat that nearly touched the ground beneath him. It was short sleeved with the word 'Gandalfr' stitched in Japanese on its back with white thread. It was closed around his chest and abdomen. Inside, he wore a long sleeved, bronze colored chainmail vest, underneath which was a black, short sleeved shirt. To match, he wore long white pants with two black belts, one used to fasten them while the other was fastened at an angle for styling purposes. He also wore dark blue suede shoes. Like he always did when going to official events, he wore a pair of white gloves and made sure his crown was positioned perfectly on his head.

Louise wore a matching long dark blue dress which was fastened around her chest. It had no sleeves and was extremely simple, with the only decoration on it being a white flower fastened onto the left side of her waist. On her arms, she wore a pair of long white gloves which nearly reached her shoulders. On her ring finger, she wore the engagement ring that Saito gave her. On her head, she tied her hair with a single band and, of course, wore her crown.

"You didn't have to match your clothes to mine." Saito said to her, holding her waist.

"We're a couple." She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Does it bother you?"

"Not at all." Saito said. "You look beautiful."

"Don't say that…" She replied, looking away from him trying to hide her embarrassment. "You're very handsome, you know."

"Don't make fun of me." He said.

He softly gave her a kiss, mostly to calm his nerves about the next few hours. For several minutes, they stood in their room, repeatedly kissing each other. Soon, however, they were interrupted by Hayai, who stuck his head in between them, seemingly wanting the same amount of affection.

"We love you too, buddy." Saito said, rubbing the dragon's head. "Louise, we should probably get going. Wales will be waiting for us."

He and Louise jumped on the dragon's back, then road outside the tent to find Wales. The military was gathered outside the east gate of the city, waiting for the leader's arrival.

"General Hiraga, what are our orders?" One of the Gallian soldiers asked.

"Remain at the top of the valley behind us. If anything happens, you have authorization to attack." Saito said.

"Understood." The soldier said. "Good luck, sir."

A few minutes afterwards, Wales and the rest of the leaders arrived. All of them except for Alex stayed quite far away from Saito and Louise out of fear of the dragon they rode on. As soon as everyone was confirmed to have arrived, they began to make their way to the meeting location.

Because they were closer to the location than Albrecht was, they would be able to arrive before noon that day. Everyone was completely silent, nervous about the possibility of ending the war that afternoon. Eventually, after many silent hours, they reached the valley where they would have their peace conference.

"Our armies will stay at the top of this hill while we have our meeting." Wales said to his fellow leaders. "Let's go."

They all nodded and walked down towards the large gazeebo in the valley. When they reached the gate to the building, two Germanian guards confronted them.

"Lord Albrecht awaits you inside." They said.

Saito and Louise got off of Hayai and walked inside, with the dragon closely following behind them. Inside, there was a round table with ten seats positioned around it, in one of which sat Albrecht, who was wearing a somewhat uncomfortable smile.

Saito and Louise sat down, with their dragon sitting directly behind them. The other leaders took their positions around the table. When everyone was settled, they waited for Albrecht to begin speaking.

"How marvelous it is for Halkeginia's leaders, young or old, to meet under one roof and talk peacefully." He finally said. "I know that as of now, we are advisories, but they may change in a few hours if everything goes well."

"What are the conditions of your surrender?" Wales asked.

"I wish to know yours, first." Albrecht said.

"Very well." Wales said, pulling a rolled up paper from under his jacket.

It was the treaty that Wales put together, named the Treaty of das Hochgebirge after the Germanian mountain range that they were meeting in. Josette and Charlotte demanded a significant amount of south east Germania's land, as well as monetary compensation and reparations to help rebuild eastern Gallia. Vittorio, because Romalia did not suffer much from the war, had no demands from the country.

Wales demanded a large amount of Albion military bases to be constructed throughout what was left of Germania after the war, as well as blueprints of all weapons Germania used during the war.

Henrietta wanted heavy reparations to be paid to Tristain until it was entirely rebuilt and every family that suffered from the war was monetarily compensated. She also wanted a small(ish?) part of Germanian land as well as knowledge of the weapons they used during the war.

Alex and Shion wanted twenty percent of Germania's remaining weaponry, a significant portion of their southern lands, and knowledge of not only the weapons used in the war, but any secret weapons programs as well.

Saito and Louise wanted a vast amount of money and land, control over Germania's ports, the right to have bases in their country, a large amount of their remaining weaponry, and knowledge of all weapons programs before, during, or after the war. Their demands were quite harsh mostly because of Saito, who was furious that his family and countless others was put in danger because of the war.

"Your demands are quite harsh. Perhaps you should view mine as well, and we may come to a compromise." Albrecht said.

"Let us see your conditions." Saito said, rather impatiently.

Albrecht gave each of his opposing leaders rolled up papers with a list of surrender conditions. In essence, he wanted Germania to retain its military power, at least 70% of its current landmass, and rights to perform any action deemed necessary to protect its citizens and keep them happy.

"What you basically want is for Germania to be unaffected by the war." Charlotte said. "Unacceptable."

"Agreed." Alex said. "You would suffer no punishments from the war if we were to accept this."

"The Germanian people are already suffering and discouraged. Your demands would not only worsen their situation, but would cripple the country." Albrecht said. "We would be economically worthless and militarily weak."

"Perhaps you should have thought of this possibility before starting the war." Henrietta said. "Regardless, if this is not signed, more Germanian citizens will be killed for no reason, only to achieve the same result. Germania will be defeated whether you sign this treaty or not. It's up to you to decide how to take it. Keep in mind that should the war continue, us allied leaders will be within our rights to completely destroy and assimilate all Germanian assets. Your country may be destroyed."

Albrecht was silent for several minutes as he seemingly considered his options. Saito watched his movements carefully, making sure to keep an eye out for any special signals or abnormal movements. Eventually, Albrecht took in a deep breath and pulled a pen from his jacket, signing their treaty. He handed the treaty and his pen to each of the leaders, letting each of them sign it.

"Thank you for helping to end this war." Albrecht said, when they all finished signing the treaty.

Almost as soon as he finished his sentence, Henrietta, Wales, Josette, Charlotte, Alex, Shion, and Vittorio all began to collapse. They coughed as if they were suffocating and their mouths began to foam. Saito immediately knew that they were poisoned, so to save them, he would have to use all of his magic to remove the poison from their systems. Using this moment of shock, Albrecht's guards arrived on a dragon and flew away from the location with him.

"Louise! Go after them! Kill them!" Saito yelled, trying his best to keep his friends conscious.

She immediately got up and ran after them. However, she stopped when she heard the sound of explosions firing in the distance. Only a few seconds afterwards, the building in which they met in exploded in flames.

Louise's heart broke as she saw the building being inundated with a barrage of explosives. There was no way anyone could survive such an onslaught. Even Saito.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! That's the first chapter you're getting today, so the second might be a little late. I do apologize for that. Regardless, send me your thoughts. Tell me if you liked it or not. I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks for reading, and see you soon!**


	40. Chapter 40: Disaster

**Author's Notes:**

 **As promised, here is the second chapter of the day. I intended to release it at 12 am, but the system seemed to be down. I hope you enjoy it, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

 **Chapter 40: Disaster**

Louise's eyes widened as she saw the massive explosion unfolding in front of her eyes. Eventually, everything went silent, with the only sound being the crackling of the burning embers within the fire. She ran towards the burning building and quickly blew away the larger fires with a softer explosion spell.

At the same time, the allied Gallian forces arrived, having seen the explosions in the valley. She lifted aside the heavy rubble until she eventually saw Hayai curled in a ball. He was completely unscathed, with even his fur being unsinged. She ran up to him, feeling slightly relieved that at least he was alive.

When he uncurled himself, her heart sank again as she saw the being laying unconscious on his fur. Saito was severely burned with a multitude of deep gashes on several parts on his body. On his chest, his Heart of God rune had disappeared, meaning he had somehow died already and was now living solely on his original life force.

He barely had a pulse and had very shallow breathing. She realized that even with his extraordinary ability to heal himself, he would be incapacitated for months because of his wounds. When the soldiers arrived, they each went through the piles of rubble, finding the other leaders one by one.

Much to their surprise and confusion, they were all completely uninjured, with only a few minor scrapes. They were unconscious, but otherwise, they would be fine.

"How are they so healthy?" One of the soldiers asked.

Louise combed her mind for answers, then it hit her. Long ago, when Saito had told her about how he had come to Halkeginia before, she remembered him telling her that he had also become the Heart of God, Lífþrasir. He told her that he had once died because he used to much energy in an attempt to save Halkeginia, but he did not die because he was also Gandalfr. Putting two and two together, she realized that he probably used all of his power as Lífþrasir to keep the other leaders alive. Because of how exhausting that was, he must have 'died', causing him to fall unconscious. Since he was unconscious, he was unable to protect himself from the fire and rubble around him, causing his massive injuries.

"Take him away and make sure he lives…" She said quietly to one of the soldiers.

They were confused at first, but even though they were not a mage, they could feel an ominous aura coming off of her. A deep purple, magic aura surrounded her body and dripped onto the ground as she walked, as if it was some kind of thick liquid. She knelt by Saito and softly kissed his lips, although part of his face and neck were burned.

"Please don't die…" She said with tears streaming from her eyes. "I need you. Please…"

She kissed him one more time, then turned towards the direction of the Germanian army.

"Hayai, take care of Saito." She said.

The dragon nodded and picked up Saito by his shirt. It disappeared into the ranks of the allied army looking for a medical mage. Louise, meanwhile, walked towards the Germanian army. She could, of course, have destroyed them from where she was, but she wanted them to see her out of the hatred she now felt towards them.

Out of fear, none of the allied soldiers dared to get in her way. She quickly made her way up the valley and onto the semi-flat ground that the Germanian military were. They were preparing to send scouts to make sure the leaders were dead. When they noticed her, they immediately opened fire.

In just a few seconds, thousands of bullets flew towards her. However, when the bullets made contact with her body, they seemed to simply dissolve, turning into dust. For several minutes, the barrage continued until the dust in the air was too thick for the Germanians to see through.

As they waited to see if their barrage had worked, suddenly, the dust in the air seemed to be sucked into one point, which happened to be the tip of Louise's finger. Before any of them could pull a trigger, a ball of light shot into the middle of the army. However, unlike before, this light was much darker in coloration. It was deep purple and black, seeming to exude the very essence of despair from it. Almost instantly, a large explosion enveloped them all.

Far away in the bottom of the valley, the allied soldiers could see a halo of purple-ish light behind the hill which the Germanians came from. They knew exactly what would happen afterwards, so they all got on the ground and covered their heads. Just as they expected, a shock wave ran across the valley. This time, however, it was much stronger than ever before.

When the violence subsided and they opened their eyes, they were shocked to see that every tree as far as they could see was no longer standing. The ones that were closer to the explosion seemed to be crushed.

"It's dangerous to stay here!" One of the soldiers yelled. "We're going back to Tristania!"

All the soldiers began marching back to Tristania as quickly as possible, making sure to keep their leaders well protected. Meanwhile, Louise walked through a sea of melted weapons and armor, as well as silhouettes of where some soldiers used to be, but were now turned to dust.

The Germanian military that was stationed there was destroyed. She looked up at the sky where, in several dozens of kilometers away, she used her void magic to spot Albrecht, fleeing on a dragon towards the capital.

Almost robotically, she pointed her finger in his direction. After taking a moment to aim, a thin beam of dark purple magic shot from her finger. With astonishing accuracy, it pierced the dragon's wing, causing it to fall to the ground. When they crashed on the ground, Albrecht and his guards ran through the forest and hid behind some trees.

They heard a strange sound in the place that they had just been. It sounded like a very dull, muted explosion. When they looked, they saw Louise looking down at the wounded dragon. It looked very afraid, but she gently stroked its head, letting it calm down. She placed her hand over its wound, then it got up and ran away into the forest.

Suddenly, she disappeared, making Albrecht alarmed. To his knowledge, he should not have been capable of such things. As far as he knew, she was only capable of causing massive explosions. As these thoughts raced through his mind, he heard the same, dull sound behind him. Before he even had the chance to turn around, he was knocked unconscious.

In Tristania

All of the allied leaders were unconscious in the medical ward of their camp. It had been about two hours since the meeting began and they were attacked. As the medics scratched their heads trying to understand why the only one who was wounded was Saito, Wales suddenly woke up coughing.

"Where am I?" He asked with confusion.

"You're in the medical ward in Tristania. You…were attacked at your meeting with Germania. Our forces are already prepared to march on your command." One of the doctors said.

Wales's face contorted with anger when he remembered what happened, but then changed to one of confusion as he realized that he was uninjured.

"What happened?" He asked the doctor.

"We do not know the details yet, as the only ones in the building were you and the other leaders." The doctor replied. "However, we do know that the Germanian military fired in an attempt to kill all of you. Miraculously, most of you came out with no injuries at all."

"Most of us?" Wales said.

The doctor cleared his throat out of fear of Wales's reaction.

"Ahem. L-Lord Hiraga is in critical condition…" The doctor said.

Wales's eyes widened with worry and sadness. "Take me to him immediately!" He said.

The doctor nodded and ran through the medical complex until he reached a door at the end of a hallway. Inside, Wales saw just what the doctor meant by critical condition. His entire body, save part of his face, was covered in burns and deep gashes.

By Saito's side, Hayai sat. The doctors had attempted to try and have it leave the room, but it refused to leave Saito's side.

"What happened to him..?" Wales asked.

"We have no idea." The doctor said.

"Where is his wife?" Wales asked.

"According to the soldiers who were at the scene, she went off to destroy the enemy by herself." The doctor said.

"What?! And they didn't stop her?!" Wales exclaimed. "If she dies…"

At this very moment, he heard a commotion outside, prompting him to look outside. When he walked outside, he saw Louise walking towards the base. In her hands, she was dragging Albrecht by his neck, unconscious.

Medical mages and other doctors ran out to capture him and see if she had any wounds, but were shocked to find that she was entirely healthy, only slightly tired. Without saying anything, she ran into the building looking for Saito.

When she found him, she collapsed onto his bed and began to weep. She felt guilty for letting this happen to him. Wales watched her cry for several minutes until eventually, she got up and turned towards him.

"We're going to destroy Germania." She said.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Here is your second chapter! I decided to cut it short because it would've been too long otherwise. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. See you soon!**


	41. Chapter 41: The Final Stretch

Author's Notes:

Sit rep: Due to technical troubles, I'm having trouble getting these chapters out. I've spoken to the support and we're trying to fix it, so give me some time. I know it's infuriating, but I'm trying my best to fix the problem. Thanks for your patience, guys.

Chapter 41: The Final Stretch

"What do you mean 'destroy' Germania?" Wales asked.

"They wrongfully attacked us. As Queen Henrietta said, we are well within our rights to destroy that country." Louie replied.

"All that would do is spread hatred throughout Germania." Wales argued. "We have their leader now. All we have to do is take over their governments. Without their king, they won't have the moral to fight."

"Even if you don't help, I am more than capable of doing it myself." She replied, looking back down on the injured Saito.

"Listen, I understand that you're sad and angry, but that is not the way to do this. Murdering civilians won't help us at all." Wales said.

"You do not understand…" Louise said, quietly.

"I do. I know how hard it is to see him like this, but-"

"He was supposed to be a father, but now he can't because of what Germania did!" She interrupted.

"A father..? You mean you're…" Wales replied as he finally realized just how little he actually understood.

"We were supposed to end this war together, and then live happily as a family." Louise said. "But then the Germanians just took it all away. How am I supposed to meet his parents like this? They'll hate me for doing this to him. Germania needs to pay for that."

"I don't think that killing innocent people is what he would want though." Wales replied. "Most of all, he hated Albrecht. He's the one who should pay."

"Saito wanted to kill Albrecht on his own, so we'll keep him alive until Saito heals." Louise said. "The country of Germania must be punished. I won't accept anything else."

Wales was silent for a few minutes. He hated to see her in such grief, but what she wanted might be too extreme and could cause another war some day.

"You need to get some rest. We'll interrogate Albrecht once the others wake up." Wales said.

She didn't answer him. She simply nodded and held Saito's hand, never taking her gaze away from him. Wales left the medical building and went to his private quarters to think about what their next move should be. Obviously, the only option at this point was to continue the war, but he thought that perhaps if he showed the Germanian people that they had captured Albrecht, there could be an uprising and the Germanian people would end the war by themselves. As he thought about this, one of the doctors arrived in his room.

"Sir, some of the others are starting to wake up." They said.

Wales got up and followed the doctor back to the hospital, where he saw that they were all starting to wake up. They looked very tired, but were fully awake.

"What happened?" Alex asked.

"Albrecht tried to kill us." Wales replied. "He poisoned us then destroyed the place where we were meeting. Somehow, we came out unscathed. Except for Saito."

"That bastard, Albrecht." Alex said.

"Wait, where is Saito?" Shion asked in an even more toned down voice than normal.

"He's badly injured. It's unlikely he'll wake up for months, let alone heal. Louise is with him right now, so it's best to leave them be." Wales replied.

"He's going to live, isn't he?" Henrietta asked.

"Honestly, we don't know yet. He's extremely frail right now." Wales replied. "His body doesn't have the energy to heal itself like it normally does. Even if it did, it could be months before he healed. Without it, it could be more than a year."

"How come he's so hurt but we're okay?" Henrietta asked with confusion.

"He most likely used all of his power to make sure we stayed alive. If he did that, he would no longer have the strength to protect himself." Wales said. "Either way, just be happy that for the moment, we're all alive."

"How is Louise taking this?" Shion asked.

"She's…not well." Wales said, hesitantly. "She captured Albrecht and wants Germania destroyed. Apparently, Saito was…going to be a father."

All of their eyes widened upon hearing his words, filled with a mixture of sadness, pity, happiness, anger, and most of all, fear of what Louise was going to do. She was normally quite a violent person, even more so if Saito was hurt. Now that they had this information, they could not even begin to comprehend the plethora of destructive actions she would do as revenge.

"Is she calm?" Alex asked with fear.

"For now, yes. I think their pet dragon gives her enough comfort to keep her calm." Wales said.

"We need to act fast." Charlotte said. "With Albrecht in our hands, winning the war will not be hard. We just need to do it before her temper boils over."

"I think we need to show the Germanian people that Albrecht has been captured. I have no doubt that upon seeing this, they will revolt and stop the war. Once they elect a new leader, we can show him our demands again, sign the treaty, and the war will officially be over." Wales said.

"Agreed." They all replied.

"Where is Albrecht?" Alex asked, exuding an air of malice in his voice.

"He is currently being held by our soldiers. We should go and interrogate him. I suggest we leave Louise out of it. Things may get…violent otherwise." Wales said.

They all nodded and followed wales to a stairwell which led deep into the ground. For several minutes, they walked down the staircase until they reached the hallway at its base. They walked for another several minutes before reaching a large door with several guards blocking its entrance.

The guards moved aside when they saw the leaders coming towards them and opened the door. Inside, Albrecht lay on the cold, hard, stone floor. He was awake, but seemed to be in his own world. He took no notice of their presence, either out of refusal, or lack of sanity.

"Albrecht, you have lost this war even with your treacherous attempt to kill us." Wales said.

"Going for my execution am I?" Albrecht replied, chuckling.

"Not quite yet. Saito will be the one to take your life, but because of what you did, he is in critical condition." Wales replied.

"Ah! That's wonderful news!" Albrecht replied clapping his hands.

"Just like his wife who grieves by his side, you're going to know what it feels like to lose your loved ones." Wales said.

Albrecht immediately stopped laughing.

"My family has nothing to do with this. The boy was an enemy to Germania. It was within my rights as the leader of a sovereign nation to attempt to kill him during war." Albrecht replied.

"You see, even if I didn't want to harm your family, do you know who will?" Wales asked. "The girl whose husband you nearly took away and, when the time comes, the man whose wife and child you nearly killed."

With that, they left the room and walked back upstairs.

"Are we really going to kill his family?" Henrietta asked.

"Personally, no, but it's nice to let him think that we will." Wales said. "However, the truth is that his family's safety depends entirely on Louise's anger. With her power, there's no way we could get in her way."

"She deserves revenge." Josette said. "It is only fair. She faces the possibility of being a mother without a husband. She deserves revenge against the people that did this to her."

As much as Wales wanted to argue, he knew that Josette was right.

"Even so, we need to leave now." Wales said. "We're going to march into Vindobona with Albrecht as our hostage. Once the people see him, they will seize control of the country."

With all of them in agreement, they gathered about half of the military forces in Tristania to go with them into Germania, amounting to about twenty thousand soldiers and two thousand mages. They had guards go and restrain Albrecht, who seemed at this point to be completely insane, which would work in the allies' favor.

"Should we inform Louise that we are leaving?" Vittorio asked.

"She probably already knows already." Wales replied. "Besides, she alone is capable of defending this city, so everything will be fine."

With that settled, they began to make their way towards the Germanian border to the north. As Wales had predicted, Louise did know that they were leaving, but at this point, she had resolved herself to stay by Saito's side.

She remained latched onto his hand as if he would disappear from the world forever, which was a real possibility at this point. It was if she believed that by staying next to him, his life may be prolonged somehow. Soon, however, the exhaustion from the day overcame her and she fell asleep, still grasping his hand.

Several hours later, night had fallen as the allied army neared the Germanian border. As they took a break from marching, they could see a line of hundreds of Germanian soldiers on the border.

"It is best that we wait until day break to march so that they don't try and fire on us." Wales said.

"Yes, that would be ideal." Shion said. "But we mustn't wait too long."

"It will only be a few hours." Wales replied.

This was the correct call for him to make, as the Germanian general in charge of that section of the border had given his soldiers the order to kill any non-Germanian person who came near the border. Of course, the allied army outnumbered the Germanians on the border, but it was best to avoid any casualties.

The anxiously waited through the night for the right time to march until eventually, the sun began to rise just enough to where Wales felt confident that marching to the border was somewhat safe.

"Make sure Albrecht is at the front. They won't dare to shoot him." He said.

The army began to march towards the border. When the Germanians saw them, they immediately lifted their weapons and were about to fire, but were stopped by their commanding officer who, using a pair of binoculars, saw that Albrecht was being forced to march with the allied army. Several spears were pointed directly at him, threatening to pierce his heart at any moment.

"Hold your fire!" The officer yelled.

The allied army spread out to intimidate the Germanians into dropping their weapons. When they did eventually drop their weapons on their officer's command, Wales and the other leaders walked towards the border surrounded by soldiers and with Albrecht held in front of them.

"The war is over!" Wales declared. "This psychopath is the one who put your lives in danger! He's the one you're fighting for, and the one your friends died for! Step aside so the people of Germania may have their freedom from this despicable tyrant!"

Upon seeing the seemingly insane Albrecht held before them, many of the soldiers began to move aside. By this point, many of Germanias soldiers had already given up on the war, as they were malnutritioned and were not as properly supplied as they were when the war began. Coupled with the fact that many of their families suffered while supporting the war, many soldiers were contemplating deserting already.

Noticing that his soldiers were already beginning to move aside to let the allied army pass, the commanding officer had no choice but to allow Wales and his allies to enter Germania. After all, after seeing Albrecht while knowing that his family suffered from the war, he was no longer loyal to Albrecht or the Royal Family of Germania. Not only that, but even if his soldiers did fight, they would all be killed because of how vastly they were outnumbered.

"Very well. We surrender." The officer said. "I will have you know that you will most likely meet no resistance in capturing this country. Our people are starved and have no will to fight anymore."

"You made the right decision." Shion said. "Once this country is sorted, we will make sure to help every family that we can."

"Thank you. Please do not hurt anyone. We just can't deal with it right now." The officer said, taking the badges off of his uniform.

"Understood. If you wish, you may help us in taking this country. Your efforts will be rewarded." Henrietta said.

"If your men would accept me, I will do anything I can to help my country. I'm sure the same goes for all of my men." The officer replied.

Wales nodded and began to lead the allied army, which now consisted of a Germanian division, into the heart of Germania towards the capital. Just as the Germanian border officer had told them, they met very little opposition, with only a few small groups opposing their march. With their progress, they would reach Vindobona within three days, thus ending the war.

In Saito's head

Saito's eyes opened in a familiar room. In front of him, the giant beast known as Gandalfr stared down at him. Saito's body was not in pain, but he could somehow tell that his real body was injured and he was on the brink of death.

"So I managed to live, huh?" Saito said.

"It seems that way." Gandalfr replied.

"How long do you think it'll be before I wake up?" Saito asked.

"Months…if you're lucky. If you're unlucky, it could be more than a year." Gandalfr replied.

"Damn it!" Saito said, punching the ground. "I have to be there when my kid is born! You're telling me there's no way to heal myself more quickly?"

"Even Elven magic would struggle to significantly reduce the time you remain unconscious." Gandalfr said. "I believe that with the extent of your wounds, even the medical care in your world would struggle to bring you into consciousness."

"What the hell am I supposed to do in here for a year?!" Saito exclaimed.

"Welcome to my world." Gandalfr said, mocking him.

"Okay, I get it." Saito said. "Maybe you can unlock the rest of my magic?"

"If I tried, you might die. If you were healthy, it would be okay." Gandalfr said.

"Just try it." Saito said.

"That's reckless." Gandalfr said. "For a man with a family to go back to, you seem eager to die."

"Listen, I think that if you unlock the rest of my magic, I might be able to accelerate my healing a little." Saito said. "At least enough to wake up before my kid is born."

"It's too risky." Gandalfr said.

"What's this? The great Gandalfr cares for a pathetic mortal like myself?" Saito said.

"Tch! Whatever!" Gandalfr said.

Without warning, he pierced Saito's chest with his claw. A feeling of intense burning came over Saito's body. He is chest, abdomen, runes, and tail all began to glow brightly. He fell onto his knees in pain and could feel his heartrate increasing.

Luckily, he was more tolerant to pain than he was before, so he managed to breath and keep his wits. After three minutes, he began to wonder if Gandalfr was trying to kill him.

"How much longer?!" He yelled.

"You have a lot more dormant magic than expected. Have some patience." The beast replied.

After another five minutes, the beast pulled its claw from Saito's body. With his entire body glowing a dull red color, he collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.

"Please tell me that was all of it." He finally said.

"Good enough." Gandalfr replied.

"Come on. You're killing me." Saito said.

"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it this far." He replied. "Your body cannot control this new magic, so anyone outside may notice something strange."

"Something like what?" Saito asked.

"I don't know. I'm just speculating." Gandalfr said.

"Speculation…huh?" Saito said, drowsily.

Although he tried his best to fight it, he soon began to fall unconscious until eventually, he completely fell asleep from the stress of his ordeal.

In Saito's Hospital Room

Louise's eyes lazily drifted open. She yawned and stretched her arms. She looked down at Saito and held his hand. Hayai was still in the room, surrounding Louise with his body. As she looked down at him, she noticed that her stomach had grown slightly bigger. Tears began to form in her eyes, both from happiness and sadness. Happiness at the fact that she'd be a mother soon, but sad at the fact that Saito's fate in her baby's future was unknown.

As she rubbed her belly, a dark red aura seemed to instantly envelop Saito. It looked like dark red fire and, just like fire, was extremely hot, although the heat was bearable for Louise. She was quite afraid as to what it could mean, but it didn't seem to be hurting Saito.

Choosing to trust her gut, she let him be. Hayai also seemed to be calm and strangely elated, so she rested by his side. However, the color of the aura did bother her. She had never seen him use magic with such an ominous and dark color, so she thought it was possible for it to be a bad thing.

"Who can I go to who knows about magic?" She thought to herself.

When she thought this, Hayai 'barked', trying to get her attention as if he knew the answer. His tails wagged, making Louise think that maybe he knew something. Becoming impatient, the playful dragon lifted her onto its back. With one of its tails, it gently lifted Saito into Louise's arms.

Suddenly, it ran out of the room and down the hallways until it got outside.

"Where are you taking us?!" Louise yelled, terrified.

She tried to steer him back to the hospital, but he shook her hands off of him. He kept running, picking up a lot of speed until finally, he jumped. Louise saw a great amount of land bend between herself and wherever the dragon was taking her.

When she came back to her senses, she looked around for clues about where she was. Everything around her simply looked like a normal forest. It somehow looked familiar, but she couldn't make out any landmarks. However, as she looked around, she saw a small wooden cabin far away.

"Go there." Louise said to her dragon.

It jogged towards the cabin at a ginger pace. When they arrived, Louise saw someone outside the cabin chopping wood. She felt like she knew the person, but she couldn't see their face. As Hayai walked closer, he stepped on a twig, causing the person to turn around, revealing their face.

Louise was correct to believe she had seen this person before. Standing in front of her with emerald colored eyes and white hair, her pointed ears twitching at the sound of the forest, and wearing a familiarly bored expression was the person that taught Louise nearly everything she knew about void magic. The elf Sasha.

Author's Notes:

Hey, guys! I actually managed to get a chapter out today. I hope you guys enjoy it. I've been having technical issues recently, so if I post at weird times, you know why. Feel free to share your ideas with me. I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading, guys! See you next time!


	42. Chapter 42: Victory Day

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello, everyone! I'm still having trouble uploading to the website, so I'm not sure when I'll be posting chapters in the day. I've started using the app to post, though, so it has made things a little easier. Anyway, that's all I have to say right now. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 42: Victory Day**

Louise ran at Sasha as fast as she could and gave her a hug. Sasha was equally happy to see her, hugging her back, but she could tell that something bothered Louise. It was like the magic within her was turbulent and unkempt.

"I'm so glad to see you, little sister." Sasha said. "Although, I wonder why you came here."

"Hayai brought me here." Louise said, pointing at the dragon that was walking towards her.

"I see." Sasha said, intrigued by the strange beast. "However, I feel that you're troubled. Did something happen? You look exhausted."

Louise looked away, trying to hold back her tears. She picked up Saito, who was wrapped in a blanket, from Hayai's back and softly laid him on the ground. Because of the blanket, Sasha could not see the full extent of his wounds, but she could see how hurt his face and neck were. She also noticed the fire-like magic coming off of his body.

"What happened to him?" Sasha asked, immediately taking him into her house.

"We went to meet with the enemy leader to discuss ending the war, but he poisoned some of our allies and then bombed our location." Louise said. "He would have been able to survive unscathed, but he diverted all of his power to healing our friends and keeping them safe from the explosions. But he used up all of his power as the Heart of God and 'died'. Because he used all that power, he didn't have the energy left to protect himself…"

"I see. And why did your dragon decide to bring him here?" Sasha asked.

"I don't know. This dragon is…weird." Louise replied.

"I noticed. It is quite powerful, but I'm not sure what it is." Sasha said. "Regardless, I assume you want help in healing him?"

Louise nodded hopefully.

"I suppose Mariel and I may be able to accelerate his healing, but it will be months before he wakes up." Sasha said.

"Just let him live. Please." Louise replied.

"We'll keep him alive." Sasha said. "Now, about this magic coming off of his body, there is no need to worry. It's his own magic, although its nature is a mystery to me."

"Is it not just fire magic?" Louise asked.

"No. The magic is not emitting heat with the same process as fire." Sasha said. "I'll have Mariel look into it. However, as it is his own magic and not something foreign, you have nothing to fear."

"Thank god." Louise sighed.

"You need to rest, Louise." Sasha said. "You're not well, and you have more than just your own life to look after."

"I guess you're right…" Louise replied, rubbing her belly.

"You may use my bed, if you wish." Sasha said, as she laid Saito on a soft mattress that she pulled from her wall.

"Then where will you sleep?" Louise asked.

"I'll figure something out." Sasha replied.

"We can share the same bed." Louise said. It took a lot of willpower for her to say that, as sharing a bed with her sisters was something she always hated.

"Very well." Sasha said. "Go to sleep. I will tend to your husband."

"Come to think of it, we haven't had our wedding yet." Louise said as she laid down.

The thought brought her to tears, making Sasha feel terrible. Sasha finished tending to Saito, then laid down in bed behind Louise. She gave her a hug and kissed her head.

"You can cry all you want." She said, rubbing her hair. "It's okay."

Those word opened the floodgates that were Louise's tear ducts. She buried her face in Sasha's chest and let out a loud wail as she let tears flow from her eyes. For several minutes, she soaked Sasha's shirt with tears. After half an hour, she stopped as she fell asleep in Sasha's arms.

For hours, she let Louise find comfort in sleeping with her. She could see that Louise's dreams weren't troubled, and she slept quite peacefully. Despite pledging long ago to never again involve herself with human affairs, she began to feel a very strong hatred for the person that caused Louise to feel this much pain.

It was the first time in a very long time that she let her emotions influence her thoughts in such a drastic way. After all, she saw Louise as an innocent girl who was too young to be experiencing such harsh realities.

As the rather gruesome thoughts of what she wanted to do raced through her mind, she heard a knock on the door. She slowly got up and opened the door, where she saw Mariel standing, eating an apple.

"Hey, I just thought I'd tell you there's a weird dragon outside your h-" Mariel began.

She stopped when she noticed Sasha's soaked shirt and unusually angry expression.

"Were you crying?" Mariel asked.

"Don't be preposterous." Sasha said. "Louise is here. That is her dragon."

"Littlest sis is here?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Mariel asked.

"She came here for help." Sasha replied. "Her husband is..."

Mariel immediately understood the situation and walked into Sasha's house. She saw Louise sleeping on Sasha's bed. She could tell that Louise had been crying, which would explain Sasha's shirt. She then noticed Saito on another bed. She gasped when she saw his gruesome wounds.

"What happened?" She asked.

"It's the result of the human war and his selflessness." Sasha replied.

"I see." Mariel said. "This magic coming off of him is similar to the magic within that dragon outside."

"As always, your abilities to identify magic are superior to mine, older sister." Sasha replied.

"I'll look into that further." Mariel replied. "It seems that he will live, so we should have nothing to worry about."

"Let's just hope that this doesn't take a toll on Louise." Sasha said, rubbing Louise's head.

Louise slept for several more hours. By the time she woke up, it had already been more than 15 hours. The sun was lowering in the sky for a second time since she arrived. Despite the amount of time, Mariel and Sasha remained by her side the entire time.

When Mariel saw Louise's eyes crack open she immediately gave her a hug. It took Louise a few moments to grasp that it was Mariel, after which she tightly hugged her back.

"It's been too long, older sister." Louise said.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Mariel replied. "Don't worry about Saito. He'll be just fine. How is the war in your world?"

"We are winning." Louise said. "In fact, it might be over now."

"Congratulations. And what will you leaders do with that country?" Sasha asked.

"Well, I will have to go and discuss that with them, but I don't want to leave Saito alone." Louise said.

"We'll take care of him." Sasha said. "Remember, you represent a country now. You have certain responsibilities."

"You're right, I suppose." Louise said.

She got up and walked towards Saito. She stared down at him and kissed his forehead.

"Please take care of him." She said to Mariel and Sasha.

"No need to worry." They said.

Louise smiled and gave them one last hug before walking outside to Hayai. The dragon had spent the entire time outside, staring at the mountain that Louise met Mariel in.

"Come on, let's go back." She told him.

Louise opened a world door to Tristania and walked through it. Rather hesitantly, Hayai followed her, still transfixed by the mountain. When she arrived, she was swarmed by doctors, who did not know of Saito's location anymore.

"Where is Lord Hiraga?" One of them asked.

"He is in good care. I cannot tell you of his location." Louise replied as she walked towards the outside of the city with her dragon.

"Ma'am, I am sorry, but we must know of his location. He needs urgent care." They said.

"I am a Queen. Trust my word, please." She replied in a voice that made them understand that she was serious.

She had Hayai take her to the allied army as quickly as possible. Within a few seconds, she could see them resting outside of Germania's capital. Because it was dark and Hayai had black fur, no one noticed her walking through the army.

She found the large tent where Wales and the other most likely stayed in. She walked inside on Hayai's back and, sure enough, they were all sitting around a table drinking and discussing what to do with Germania.

"Hello." She said, getting off of the dragon before they noticed her.

"Louise?!" Shion exclaimed. "You left Saito alone?"

"Not quite. I can't tell you where he is." Louise replied, sitting on a chair. "He is in good hands."

"I see." Henrietta said. "So what did you come here for?"

"I am a Queen, and since Saito is in no condition to be here, I will represent him." Louise replied. "Please tell me what has been happening."

"The Germanian people are tired and have given up on fighting the war." Alex said. "We're going to take the capital once the sun rises. Once that happens, the war is officially over."

"I see. And how will we deal with Germania once it is over?" Louise asked.

"We will most likely split the country between us like our treaty stated." Charlotte replied. "Once the Germanians elect a new leader, we will negotiate with him about helping what's left of Germania recover."

"Very well." Louise said. "I assume those responsible for the war will be executed?"

"It is only natural." Josette said.

"Well, I guess we can relax for a little bit." Wales said as he leaned back in his chair.

"A toast to winning the war." Vittorio said, raising a glass of wine.

They all raised their glasses and drank the wine, happy that the war was finally over. That night, they all, including Louise, joked about their adventures during the war, although she refrained from talking about what she did in the time before her arrival in the war.

She joked that she was simply unaware that a war was going on, so she went abroad to see the world. Alex and Shion knew what she meant by 'abroad', but didn't give up Louise's secret. Soon, after drinking quite a bit, all of the other leaders apart from Louise and Shion, who were unusually good at holding their drink, fell asleep.

"How is he?" Shion asked.

"Alive." Louise replied.

"Will he wake up before your child is born?" Shion asked.

"It doesn't look that way." Louise said. "He will wake up one day though. I can't wait to see him awake again."

"I'm sorry." Shion said.

"It's okay. As long as he's alive, I'll be okay." Louise replied. "What about you? Are you and Alex going to have a baby?"

Shion spit out her wine from the shock of the sudden question.

"Not at all!" She replied. "Not yet anyway."

"Well, you two seem like you really like each other, that's all." Louise replied, laughing at Shion's reaction.

"So when will the baby be born?" Shion asked.

"Between in about six to nine months." Louise replied.

"Isn't that unusually long?" Shion asked.

"I can't really properly explain why it's so long." Louise said. "It's fine though. The baby's healthy."

"I'm glad." Shion responded. "Are you ready to rule a large country like the one you're about to acquire?"

"To be honest, I'll definitely need help, but I think I can manage. How about you?" Louise said.

"Well, Alex seems quite confident, so I have no choice but to put my trust in him." Shion replied. "The sun rises quite soon, so it's not like it's a long way away, is it?"

"I suppose not." Louise replied. "You should sleep a little."

"I should say the same to you. You're the one carrying another life within you." Shion said as she got up to go to her own tent.

Louise, unable to sleep, decided to stay awake and wait for the time to march upon the city. Hours felt like years as she waited for the sun to rise. Eventually, she noticed changing from pitch black to dark blue. A few minutes, she saw the first sliver of sun light.

About an hour later, the sun was in full view in the sky. Soon, Wales emerged from the tent that he and the other leaders fell asleep in. Shion, too, seemed to appear out of nowhere next to Louise. As Wales and the others prepared to leave, Louise stared at the city of Vindobona several kilometers away.

"Ready to go?" Wales said to Louise and Shion.

They both nodded, with Louise getting on the back of Hayai, who had walked away from Wales's tent and sat behind her. A few minutes later, they began moving toward the city. Even though it was within sight, there were quite a few hills in the way, so it took them a few hours to arrive.

Once they arrived, they were shocked to see smoke coming from the city. No enemy soldiers confronted them at the city limits, but the sounds of rioting could be heard inside.

"Orders, sir?" One of Wales's generals asked.

"March into the city." Wales said. "Louise, you may act independently if you wish."

Louise nodded. She had Hayai run into the city, where she saw several buildings damaged or on fire. She saw several citizens and soldiers running through the streets. Confused, she had Hayai pick up one person with one of his tails.

"What's going on here?" She asked.

"Don't you know?!" The man said. "We've been fighting this war for some tin pot dictator! Our families are dying! It's time for the royal family to be brought down! Or are you one of their dogs?!"

She tossed the man aside and looked up at the royal palace. In an instant she appeared behind its walls.

"Hayai, stay out here. I'll deal with the royal family." Louise said.

The dragon let her off of its back and sat down, looking at the gate in case any guards arrived. Louise quickly made her way inside the palace. Using her void powers, she quickly located the royal family. They were deep underground in a bunker made of metal.

She calmly walked down to the bunker's location, where she was met by a large iron door. Concentrating her magic at the tip of her wand, she began cutting a hole in the door. In only a few seconds, the door had a large hole carved into it. Inside, Louise saw Albrecht's family. His wife and two young sons were huddled in a corner.

This was her perfect chance at taking revenge against Albrecht. He took away the person who mattered most to her, so she would take away the people he loved most. Despite her desire to hurt them, however, she laid her wand on the ground to make them feel at ease.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She said. "You're innocent, correct?"

Albrecht's wife nodded in fear, holding her two boys close to herself.

"I'm going to help you escape. I'm from the allied armies of Gallia, Romalia, Albion, and Tristain." Louise said. "My name is Queen Louise de la Valliére. I am the current fiancé of King Hiraga. It is a pleasure to meet you."

This polite greeting put Albrecht wife at ease.

"Thank you. How will you get us out of here?" She asked.

Louise closed her eyes for a few seconds, then pointed her wand at one of the walls. A large ball of light shot from her wand and hit the wall. Rather than exploding when it hit the wall, it tunneled through the ground for quite a distance before simply dissipating.

"Follow me." Louise said.

She led through the tunnel for several minutes until she reached its end. She then looked up and launched a similar spell upwards, opening a hole to the surface. Using her great strength, she tossed each of them to the surface without harming them.

When their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw Wales and the other leaders looking down at a map. It took them a while to notice the woman and two children sitting next to them with confused expressions.

"Who are you?" Shion said, reaching for a dagger under her clothes.

"Relax, they're Albrecht wife and children." Louise said after jumping from the hole in the ground. "They're innocent, so make sure they stay safe."

"Very well." Wales said. He looked at one of his guards, who nodded and took them away. The guard made especially sure to treat the children with great care.

"I assume you saw the city." Vittorio asked Louise.

"Yes. There are riots because word reached the city about the kind of leader Albrecht was. They want a change in government." Louise said. "Seize the city without killing anyone. We can claim victory if we do."

Wales nodded and walked outside to speak to a group of generals who were awaiting orders..

"Seize the city as quickly as possible." He said.

"No casualties." Josette said.

"As you wish." The generals said.

Thousands of allied soldiers swarmed the city, assuring citizens that they were there to usurp the tyrannical royal family. To their surprise, the citizens cheered them on, allowing for a fast capture of the city.

Outside the city, Louise and the other leaders waited for a signal that everything was successful. After several hours, a flare was shot into the air which then exploded into fireworks, the signal that the allies had captured Vindobona and, as a byproduct, claimed their victory.

Louise fell onto her knees from happiness and exhaustion, only capable of mustering the energy to say three words.

"Finally, it's over."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Again, I'm having tech issues and I'm still trying to fix them, so bear with me. Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow (?)**


	43. Chapter 43: Life

**Author's Notes:**

 **Rejoice! My problems with posting chapters have been fixed! I will be able to post chapters more reliably now. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy chapter 43!**

 **Chapter 43: Life**

Three weeks passed since Vindobona fell and the war was won for the allied powers. The allies temporarily controlled the nation to prevent anymore violence, and had called for the people to decide on a new form of government, or a new royal family.

They had explained that Albrecht's family was innocent and should not be harmed, so many of the people wanted his wife, Augusta, to become queen, as she was known as a gentle person and had historically been very adamant on putting the people's well being above the well being of the country. She was also extremely beautiful, with silky black hair, bold red eyes, and luscious lips. With her considerable bust and tall height, many of the men in Germania lusted after her, while the women wished they looked like her.

Albrecht children, Hermann who was six and Friedrich who was three, were also beloved by the nation, so having their mother as Queen was very appealing. They were both very handsome, inheriting their mother's hair and eyes. Even as small children, the people knew they would be blessed with excellent looks.

After three weeks of debates and collecting votes, Augusta was elected as the new Empress of Germania. Before even going to her coronation ceremony, she asked for a meeting between herself and the other leaders. It did not take long for the meeting to take place, as they were all nearby the city while the elections took place.

They met together in a large dining hall within the royal palace. A large banquet was laid out for them, perhaps as an attempt by the newly crowned empress to buy their forgiveness.

"I'm sorry for bothering you." She said.

"We are pleased to meet with Germania's new leader." Louise replied.

"How may we assist you?" Wales asked.

"I would like you to show me the treaty that you showed Albrecht." She replied. "It is only fair for each of your respective nations to be rewarded appropriately for your losses during the war."

Wales pulled a rolled up paper from a pocket inside his coat and handed it to Augusta. For several minutes, she looked over it, thinking about how its terms could affect the country.

"I suppose these terms are fair, but I request that Germania be allowed to keep its capital city." She replied.

"Of course." Wales replied. "I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we will help to rebuild Germania."

The other leaders all nodded in agreement.

"Thank you very much." Augusta said. "I don't know how I can repay the families who lost loved ones during the war, so hopefully, making the citizen's lives better will help fill the holes in their hearts."

"You'll do just fine." Louise said. "Do be careful, though. I am sure there are groups of Germanians who remain loyal to Albrecht."

"I will remain careful. Thank you all very much." Augusta replied. "You are welcome to stay in Germania for as long as you wish."

"Thank you very much." Charlotte replied.

"Louise, is your husband not joining us today?" Augusta asked.

Everyone stiffened when they heard that question. They never dared to mention Saito since the war ended. They knew it was a minefield to even mention his name, so they did their best to ignore the fact that he was absent. Fearfully, they all found ways to disappear without being noticed.

"He…can't join us." Louise said, very obviously feeling a complex mixture of emotions. "He was hurt during the war."

"Oh. I'm so sorry." Augusta replied. "I was unaware."

"It's okay, your highness." Louise said. "He's alive, that's what's important."

"Thank god." Augusta sighed in relief. "I see you've already thought about the future of your household."

"I suppose." Louise said. "I'm slightly worried about how safe it will be to have a child at this point."

"Well, it seems that you're beyond the point of being capable of stopping it. You might as well enjoy the experience." Augusta said.

"Aren't you afraid of people coming after your kids?" Louise asked.

"The threat is there, but if I do my duty as a mother, there is no reason for harm to come to them." Augusta replied, preparing to leave to the balcony where her coronation would take place.

Louise watched as she held her children's hands and walked away towards the balcony. She got lost in her thoughts as she imagined walking through her own palace holding the small hands of a child close to her. She snapped out of it when a guard told her that it was time for the leaders to gather on the balcony and crown Augusta as Empress. She took a deep breath, then ran to the balcony to begin the ceremony.

 **In Sasha's House**

Saito lay on Sasha's bed, unconscious for four weeks straight. Mariel and Sasha had spent the entire time monitoring his condition. As Sasha cooked herself food, Mariel ran through her door, panting as if she had run a long distance.

"Make yourself presentable, older sister." Sasha said.

"Little sister, I have some news!" Mariel said.

"What is it?" Sasha asked, irritated at her older sister's refusal to calm down.

"I took a sample of the magic that his body is producing and took it back to my lab in the mountain!" Mariel replied.

"You told me that already. What is your news?" Sasha said.

"When I took it to the mountain, it fused with the magic that the mountain already contains." Mariel said, finally catching her breath.

"And what is strange about that?" Sasha asked.

"The only magic that could fuse with the mountain is that of the god of time's counterpart." Mariel said. "This boy and his dragon somehow have magic that this world hasn't seen in over ten thousand years."

"It could be a fluke. The only other mortal whose magic was capable of working with that of Tempus was Brimir and even then, it was magic he stole. He never told me how he acquired it." Sasha said.

"It's not a fluke. I'm sure you've noticed how similar this magic is to that which Brimir used during his conquest. I suggest we test Louise's dragon when she comes back." Mariel replied.

"Louise is facing a lot of stress at the moment." Sasha said, sipping her tea. "Let it rest until her child is born and she is healthy again."

"Very well, but we must address this quickly." Mariel said.

"It's not like Brimir is alive." Sasha replied. "The boy seems to have a good heart, so we may have nothing to worry about."

"If you say so, little sister." Mariel replied. "There is something else I wanted to talk to you about regarding her child."

"We must watch the child closely, yes." Sasha said.

"That child will possess immense power." Mariel said. "With Saito incapacitated, Louise will be in danger from anyone who knows about her pregnancy. I want permission to watch over her in the human world."

"Making your presence known in the human world is forbidden. You know that, older sister." Sasha replied.

"Even if it's forbidden, family must look after each other." Mariel said. "I would love to have her live with us and raise her child here, but she is a leader with responsibility to govern her people. If I cannot protect her here, I will protect her in her own world."

"I get the rather strong feeling that my opinion will not sway you." Sasha said. "If that's the case, please do your best to protect her, older sister."

"Of course." Mariel said. "Please take care of things here while I'm gone. I'll make sure no one knows I'm there, so don't worry."

Sasha nodded and gave Mariel a hug in a rare expression of emotion. Mariel hugged her back, feeling both happy and sad that she'd be leaving for quite some time. They remained in a hug for more than a minute, with neither one wanting to let go.

After some more time passed, Mariel pulled herself away and kissed Sasha's forehead. Sasha kissed Mariel's cheek, with her own cheeks turning red. Mariel smiled at her, then departed to prepare for her trip.

 **In Louise's 'Palace'**

Three turbulent months passed since Augusta was made Empress of Germania. As was expected, there were several groups who were opposed to her rule, although there had not been any attempts on her life.

Louise sat at a desk behind a mountain of paperwork. She was currently using the large mansion that she, Saito, Alex, and Shion went to as a temporary palace until her official one was built. She was becoming increasingly exhausted, both from the stress of running her now rather large country, and from the baby that she was carrying with her.

It was already nearly a year since she was unknowingly made pregnant, and her belly was now quite large. As she worked non-stop on her paperwork, she eventually became too tired and decided to rest her weary head. As she laid on her bed, one of her newly acquired guards knocked on her door.

"Come in." She said.

Because of the armor that Louise had her soldiers and guards wear, it was impossible to deduce anything about their features. Even their gender was unknown unless they spoke. Of course, with Louise's power, she was easily able to identify people by both their looks and the feeling of their magic.

"Your Highness, a message has been sent for you from Her Majesty Augusta." The guard said, bowing towards her. Louise instantly saw that it was a woman, but didn't recognize their magic from any of her palace guards.

"What is this message?" She asked.

"Augusta's soldiers have identified a secret underground room they believe was created by Albrecht." The guard said. "However, they are unable to get into this room as it is surrounded by several layers of metal."

"Can any mages manage to break through the metal?" She replied.

"No, Your Highness." The guard said.

"I see. Please thank Ms. Augusta for this information." She said.

"Of course, Your Majesty." The guard replied.

"I have not seen you here before. Were you transferred here from another country?" Louise asked.

"Hm, I suppose you could say that." The guard said.

"Remove your helmet, please." Louise said.

The guard remained still, but rather hesitantly removed their helmet. It was a fair skinned woman with dark brown eyes and blonde hair braided into a single pony tail.

"So beautiful. It's a shame that you're forced to wear a helmet." Louise said.

"Ah, it doesn't bother me." The woman replied. "Will that be all, l-I mean…Your Highness."

"Yes. Please rest for the rest of the day." Louise said.

"One more thing, if I may." The woman said. "Your child will be born soon. When that day comes, we will need a lot of security to make sure both of you are safe."

"Yes, you're right." Louise said, taking some time to think about it. "I will handle that matter."

"Well, I suggest we put you in a safe place right now." The woman said. "Your child will be born within the next two months. Anything could happen in that time."

"You know an awful lot about this kind of thing." Louise said. "Do you have children of your own?"

"Somewhere out there, yes I do." The woman said. "Please, go somewhere safe. Just in case."

"Very well. If you insist." Louise said.

Feeling satisfied, the woman walked away, closing the door behind her. Louise laid back on her bed and looked at the ceiling. She now couldn't wait for the child to be born. Not only because she was just happy to have a son or daughter, but because she wanted the anxiety of the past year to disappear.

"Not much longer now…" She thought to herself.

Her thoughts then turned to the fact that Saito wouldn't be there to support her during this time. She had already received dozens of letters from random lords and dukes throughout Halkeginia who, because of a lack of Saito's presence, had assumed that either he and Louise split up or that he was dead.

Either way, each of them sought to gain power by marrying Louise. Of course, Louise had rejected every one of their proposal. Most of them simply accepted their rejection, but some others were more adamant in expressing their desires, going so far as to personally visit her at her own palace. When she would tell them to leave, they would simply refuse to until she either hurt them with her magic, or called guards to detain them.

Eventually, she imposed a ban on unscheduled visits to her palace so that the harassment would stop. All of this added onto the already catastrophically high levels of stress she was experiencing from having to govern a newly formed nation. She had to create a system to allow Germanians who now lived in her new territory to gain citizenship, move funds to different parts of the nation's growing budget, and sort out her much larger military.

After resting for a little while longer, she decided to think of a place where she could have her child in safety. Having the baby underground was out of the question. There was no particular reason she was against it, but it was a revolting idea for her. After several hours of thought, she chose to have her child on an island off the coast of her country. It was covered with a dense forest and lacked any form of human civilization.

She had her soldiers and mages begin constructing a stone structure on the island where she and her doctors could be alone when the time came. Because mages were helping to build the castle, it ended up only taking two weeks to complete.

When it was complete, she and a group of a dozen doctors and a dozen mages entered the castle. It was effectively a large room surrounded by stone. Inside, there was a large, comfortable bed. The room was lit by several candles and had boxes of dried food for whenever Louise became hungry.

Outside, hundreds of soldiers patrolled the island while dozens of ships sailed in the seas that surrounded it. On the coast of the nation, several artillery units and thousands of soldiers lined the beaches, making sure that anyone who requested passage to the island posed no threat to Louise.

Inside, Louise laid on her bed and began her paperwork again. Doctors monitored her condition every hour, making sure her heart rate was normal and she had no abnormalities in her behavior. For weeks, this cycle continued.

One day, as she was having her heartrate checked by her doctors, she suddenly began feeling strange. Her heartrate began to increase and her breathing became shallow. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her body. Her doctors were forced to hold her down as her arms and legs flailed violently.

"Breath, Your Majesty!" The doctors said.

Still in excruciating pain, she took in several deep breaths. Realizing what was happening, she began her several hour-long ordeal of giving birth.

 **In Saito's head**

Saito had spent the past several months conversing with Gandalfr about an array of subjects from war to relationships. In their discussions, Saito learned that Gandalfr once fell in love with a human woman. Gandalfr quickly changed the subject as soon as he realized that he had let this secret slip. Ever since then, Saito had bothered him about the subject every day.

"Come on. At least tell me her name." Saito said.

"I'm not going to tell you, so stop asking." Gandalfr replied, lying on the ground with his eyes closed.

"Ughhhh, fine." Saito sighed.

He was about to ask Gandalfr another question, but his heart suddenly felt heavy. He dropped to his knees in pain, wondering what was happening. As he rolled around in pain, he heard the sound of screaming in his ears.

He quickly recognized the voice as that of Louise, making the experience doubly worse. For hours, he felt unbearable pain in his heart, bringing him to tears. After more than five hours, the pain finally subsided.

His breathing was heavy as he recovered from the pain. After several minutes of lying motionless on the ground beneath him, he got up to ask Gandalfr about what happened.

"What was that?" He asked, still breathing heavily.

"Your body is fine, so I'm not sure. Did you see or hear anything?" Gandalfr asked.

"I heard Louise screaming. She must be in danger!" Saito exclaimed with fear.

"Relax. She is alive." Gandalfr said. "I can sense her magic even from here."

"Then what happened?" Saito asked.

"I sense three other powerful sources of magic around her. Her magic is now calm, so I assume they are friendly." The beast said.

"Thank god." Saito said. "I wonder what that was…"

 **On Louise's Island**

Louise, bathed in sweat, panted on her bed with exhaustion. She was pale and felt very weak. Despite this, she was extremely happy as the same blonde woman she had met before brought two small beings that were wrapped in blankets into her arms.

When she moved the blankets aside, she saw the faces of two small human beings, with their little hands curled up in front of their faces. Tears welled up in Louise's eyes as she heard them cooing in her arms.

"Congratulations, little sister." The blonde woman said, wearing a wide smile on her face.

"Little sister?" Louise asked, weakly.

"Sorry! I mean your Majesty!" The woman said.

"Little sister?" Louise asked again.

The woman, seemingly defeated, sighed and looked into Louise's eyes. The woman closed her eyes as a bright aura of magic surrounded her. When it disappeared, her hair had turned black and her eyes turned emerald green, while pointed ears poked out from her hair.

"Mariel?" Louise said.

"I was worried about you, so I had to see you." Mariel said.

"It's good to see you." Louise said. "But I thought it was forbidden for you or anyone else from that place to come here."

"It is forbidden, but I wanted to be here for you, so I broke the rules." Mariel replied. "Sasha will probably give me a lecture whenever I get back."

"Thanks for coming." Louise said, smiling quite weakly.

"One is a boy and one is a girl. What will you name them?" Mariel asked, looking down at the two small faces in Louise's arms.

"I won't name them until Saito is back." Louise said. "I want him to feel proud that he named his own kids."

"You're such a good wife." Mariel said, rubbing Louise's forehead. "If you need help caring for them, you can ask me."

Louise looked down at the babies in her arms and was surprised to see that their eyes had opened. One featured vividly purple eyes, with their iris having a thin orange band around them. The other had equally bright and vivid reddish-pink eyes.

Both of their eye glowed brightly in the dimly lit room, making some of the doctor concerned. Of course, that was not all that bothered them. Both of the children had long tails that glowed brightly like Saito's, but whose color corresponded to the children's eye color. Louise hadn't seen their tails yet since they were wrapped in blankets. Louise cradled them back and forth until they eventually fell asleep.

"Ma'am, we are concerned about your children." One of the doctors said. "They've been born with…abnormalities."

"They're fine." Louise replied. "They're just like their father."

 **Author's Notes**

 **Sorry for the late chapter. I've been spending the past few days trying to decide how to go about the next arc, which deals with the Ancient Dragon. I just decided that since I'm having a hard time figuring it out, I'll let you guys send in some ideas. Do you want it long or short? Similar to the canon, or different in some way? Send me a PM and let me know. Thanks for reading!**


	44. Chapter 44: Awakening

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, but it is a new year, after all. I'm looking forward to the dozens of chapters I'll be writing for you guys this year. Hopefully you enjoy it enough to stick around. Have a nice day and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 44: Awakening**

With her magic, Louise rocked two large cradles in her room while she kept on organizing various sectors of her government. After the two months since her children were born, the amount of work she was required to do had gradually decreased.

She got up and looked into the two cradles, listening to the soft cooing of the children that rested within them. Their hair had grown in during that time. The one with violet eyes, her son, had pitch black hair which had pink tips. Her daughter had seemingly iridescent bright pink hair. In some light, it appeared pure white, while sometimes it seemed to have a bold pink hue.

She smiled as their small hands gripped onto her fingers. Their bodies were unusually warm because of their father, but were not anywhere near as hot as his. Most likely because they were children. As she played with them, Mariel, who had chosen to stay in the human world until Saito had awoken.

"How are they?" She asked.

"Happy." Louise said. "They never cry. They're always laughing and smiling."

"That's good." Mariel said. She suddenly looked very serious, however. "I'm sure you've noticed how powerful they hold within themselves."

"Yes." Louise replied. "They're very powerful. I've already informed all of the doctors and soldiers who were present to keep the children's existence a secret."

"I see." Mariel said. "There will be evil men who wish to abuse this power, so be weary."

"Speaking of danger, Saito once informed me of an Ancient Dragon that would appear in due course." Louise said. "Are you aware of its existence?"

"I am. When it awakens, you will be able to sense it." Mariel replied. "When that happens, you need to use your magic to destroy it as quickly as possible."

"But Saito never told me of its strength in great detail." Louise said. "How am I supposed to defeat it without its help."

"Trust yourself, little sister." Mariel replied. "Your magic is far stronger than anyone else in the human world. If you all band together, you will defeat it."

"Could you and Sasha not help us?" Louise asked. "If you two were to help, victory would be assured."

"I would love to help, but it is against our laws to do so." Mariel replied, sadly. "I am already stretching my privileges by being here."

"I see." Louise said, sadly. "Well, when the time comes, would you take these two to your world? I couldn't stand for them to get hurt."

"I understand." Mariel replied. "I'm sure Saito would be happy to see them when he wakes up."

"Do you...know when he'll wake up?" Louise asked.

"I'm guessing that he'll wake up within the next month or two." Mariel replied. "His body seems to be completely healed on the outside, so it's simply a matter of getting enough energy for him to wake up. His body is immensely powerful and uses a lot of energy, so that is why it will take so long."

"I understand. You said that when the dragon awakens, I will sense it. So does that mean I can't stop it waking up in the first place?" Louise said

"It would take an incredible amount of power to seal it away. Only someone with power like the devil's would be capable of such a thing." Mariel replied.

"The devil? You mean Brimir? How did he become so powerful?" Louise asked.

"No one knows exactly. He kept his strength a secret, but I have some speculation." Mariel replied. "That reminds me, when Saito wakes up, I'd like to speak to both of you. It's extremely important."

"Is something wrong?" Louise asked.

"Not necessarily wrong, just...intriguing." Mariel said. "The magic that Saito is generating is strange, that's all."

"Does it affect my children?" Louise asked.

"Your children do exhibit the same kind of magic. Don't worry, it is not dangerous to them. I'm just worried because the last person I saw with this kind of magic was the devil. But the other thing that bothers me is your dragon has the same type of magic within it, but in vastly larger quantities. I don't even know if the magic it has even has a limit. It seems infinite."

Louise's dragon, which spent every day watching over her children, seemed to understand what they were saying, staring at them intently. Louise ran her hand through his fur, wondering why he had such power.

"Hey Mariel, how come I can't sense his power?" Louise asked.

"Perhaps it's because you've never had that kind of magic within you." Mariel replied.

"I thought there were only five kinds of magic?" Louise said.

"Yes, there are only five that mortals are capable of using, but the magic that I sense within Saito and that dragon is not meant to be used by mortals." Mariel replied, looking very concerned.

"As long as it's not going to hurt them, then we shouldn't worry about it yet." Louise replied, softly rubbing her children's cheeks. "Does Sasha know about it as well?"

"She does, although she believes it could be some kind of fluke." Mariel replied.

"I see. Thank you for informing me." Louise said.

"Don't mention it. It seems you're doing quite well as a leader." Mariel replied.

"I'm doing the best I can." Louise said. "Since I came into possession of Germanian land, I have had to make sure that there was no Germanian rebellions or revolutions, but I also have to avoid using violence. It's been working well so far, but I don't know how long it will last."

"Well, as long as you show that you're willing to work for them, there will be no revolutions." Mariel replied. "When our kingdom was created, of course there was distrust between the races that resided there. They weren't happy that the government was run almost entirely by elves, with minor representation by the other races. After some time, however, we appointed other races to different jobs in our government, which made everyone happy."

"So you're saying that I should give some Germanians power in the government?" Louise asked.

"Not necessarily. You shouldn't go out of your way to do so, especially so soon after the war." Mariel said. "There will eventually be Germanians who stand out as noble and trustworthy. However, be aware of the fact that since you are now in control of part of what was once Germania, there will always be groups who are opposed to your rule and may try to harm you or your family."

"I understand. Thank you." Louise said.

Mariel nodded and walked out of Louise's room, closing the door behind her. Louise sat on her bed and began to think about what Mariel had told her. A magic which could not be used by mortals such as herself or the elves? Then who or what was capable of using it, and why do Saito and Hayai have it within them? As all of these thoughts rushed through her head, she noticed that the very dragon she thinking of was staring directly at her.

She reached out to pet his fur. As soon as she touched his head, several scenes appeared before her eyes. Everything moved extremely quickly, so it was hard to make out what was happening. She did manage to make out what looked like Hayai fighting some other creature, which resulted in the injury he had on his neck, but she couldn't tell what the creature looked like. She could only barely make out that it was her own dragon she was seeing at all.

When she moved her hand away, the series of images she was seeing disappeared. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm down her rapidly beating heart. When she finally calmed down enough she looked back up at her dragon. For a reason she did not know yet, it looked extremely sad, like its heart was broken by someone it cared for. She didn't know what to do, so she hugged him around his neck, which seemed to comfort him.

"What was that other creature..?" She asked herself.

 **At Sasha's house**

Sasha sat outside her home chopping firewood. For hours, she sorted out logs of wood to pass the time until eventually, it became dark. She walked into her house and began cooking food for herself. When she was done, she sat at a small table and began to eat. Just as she was about to take her first bite of food, she looked at Saito.

She dropped her fork in shock as she saw his eyes wide open, shining less brightly than normal in her dimly lit room. She immediately ran over to him, not knowing exactly what to do.

"How do you feel?!" She asked.

However, he didn't say anything. He was very obviously looking at her, but his body didn't move and he didn't speak.

"Can you speak? Can you hear me?" She asked.

He blinked twice to let her know that he understood her, but couldn't move or speak.

"Would you like some kind of food? Maybe soup?" She asked.

He blinked twice again, letting her know that he wanted something. She immediately began to make soup for him. Since he hadn't eaten in months, she knew it would be better to start him off with a liquid rather than solid form of nourishment.

When she was done, she slowly fed him with a spoon. For several minutes, he sipped on the soup she made until Sasha's bowl was empty. Soon afterwards, he fell asleep again. Sasha sighed and went back to eating her own food, after which, she also fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up and saw that yet again, Saito's eyes were open. She walked over to him again and sat on his bed.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

He looked like he was straining to try and speak, but all that came out was the sound of air leaving his windpipe. However, after much determination, he finally managed to make a sound.

"Weak..." He said.

"Of course. You've been asleep for months." Sasha told him. "It will be quite a while before you can move again."

"The war. Is it over?" He managed to say.

"Indeed, it is over. Your allies have won." Sasha replied.

"So they lived." Saito thought, remembering how he stopped them from being poisoned.

"Louise is currently the Queen of your country." Sasha told him.

"She's okay..." He replied weakly. He sighed with relief and started to laugh very weakly. "Are our kids born?"

"I am not sure yet." Sasha replied. "My sister went to your world to watch over Louise. I haven't heard back from her yet."

"I see. Thank you." He said, in a voice that sounded more like wind blowing than someone speaking.

"No thanks are necessary." Sasha replied. "Just rest."

She got up and let him rest for the rest of the day, occupying herself with a series of meetings she went to with the other representatives of the Kingdom. When she arrived later that night, Saito was still sleeping, so she quietly laid in her own bed and slept.

For the next several days, she would feed Saito soup and, eventually, some solid foods as well. As soon as she began to give him meats, however little in quantity, his voice began to return until soon, he was capable of speaking without straining his voice, although he was still incapable of movement. When this happened, she decided to confront him about the strange magic that his body emitted whilst he was in a coma.

"Oh, well I spoke to Gandalfr while I was unconscious." He explained. "A long time ago, he helped me unlock the magic within me, but he couldn't unlock all of it at once. While I was unconscious, we tried unlocking the rest, but we still couldn't do it since I'm not very well right now."

"Still, that doesn't explain why you have this magic within you." Sasha said.

"What's so wrong with my magic, again?" Saito asked.

"Living beings such as Elves, Humans, Dwarves, and onward are not supposed to be capable of using it." Sasha replied, sipping tea.

"What does it do?" Saito asked.

"According to legend, it depends on which god is using it." Sasha replied.

"So basically, no one knows what it does?" Saito said.

Sasha nodded. "I don't even know if it's safe for you to use, although you seem to be okay for now."

"I guess we'll figure out what it does in due course then." Saito said.

He was about to thank her again, but he suddenly felt a heavy and cold feeling throughout his body. It sent chills up his spine and made him start breathing more heavily. After the feeling subsided, he looked over at Sasha, who obviously felt the same thing.

"What was that?" He asked her.

"This is a feeling I recognize." She replied. "The ancient dragon will soon awaken."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Again, sorry for the late chapter, but it's a new year and I had a lot of stuff to do from school, to family. Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I appreciate all the feedback I've been getting, and I'd love to hear more from you. Thanks again, and see you soon!**


	45. Chapter 45: Prelude to Destruction

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story so far, but I'm sorry to tell you that I will no longer be updating it.**

 **Just kidding! Of course I'll still be updating it! Thanks for all the positive feedback! Enjoy chapter 45! (so close to chapter 50!)**

 **Chapter 45: Prelude to Destruction**

Mariel rushed through Louise's temporary palace towards her room. She burst through the doors without knocking, where she saw Louise wrapping her children in warm blankets. Louise already knew what Mariel was there for, so she hastily packed a few materials and ran towards Mariel with her children in her arms.

"You felt it already, correct?" Mariel said.

"Yes. Please take care of them." Louise said, putting the sleeping babies into Mariel's arms.

"You can count on me, little sister. Take care of yourself too." Mariel replied.

"Are you sure you don't want me to open a world door to Sasha's house?" Louise asked.

"I'm sure. I'm pretty fast, you know." Mariel said.

Louise smiled and gave her a hug. Mariel quickly departed from the palace, making her south into Gallia, where the gate to the Elves' Kingdom was. When she left, Louise immediately opened a world door to Henrietta's palace in Tristania, which was still under reconstruction.

Henrietta was sitting behind a mountain of paperwork, sorting out Tristain's newly acquired assets. She didn't immediately notice Louise's presence. She only became aware of her arrival when she heard the guards in her room bowing towards someone.

When she looked up and saw Louise, she was initially quite happy to see her, but she quickly saw how serious Louise looked. She knew immediately that something was wrong.

"What's wrong Louise?" She asked.

"What did Saito tell you about his first time coming here?" Louise asked, sitting on a chair that a guard had pulled out for her.

Henrietta explained everything that Saito had informed her about, which was nearly everything that had occurred during his time there except for Wardes's involvement with Reconquista. His reason for withholding this information was that he wanted to kill Wardes himself. He even refrained from telling Louise about his involvement. Since he arrived, she clearly loved him, so she wasn't afraid of the threat of her arranged marriage. He knew, however, that as soon as things calmed down, Wardes would try to claim her. Especially since she was now a Queen.

"I see." Louise said when Henrietta finished her explanation. "The ancient dragon will soon awaken."

"What? How do you know?" Henrietta asked.

"I can sense it." Louise said.

"Sense it? But humans can't sense magic without some kind of tool." Henrietta replied.

"I can't explain that to you right now." Louise said. "The point is, we need to gather every weapon we have to strike it down at once."

"The strongest weapons we have are those recovered from the war." Henrietta replied.

"That will be enough. I am powerful enough on my own to support an assault." Louise said. "Just make sure to warn everyone. Have them come to this palace as quickly as possible."

"I understand. Thank you for informing me." Henrietta said.

Louise nodded and opened a world door back to her palace, where Hayai was waiting for her. The dragon was clearly agitated by the ancient dragon's awakening. Saito had told Louise about the ancient dragon's ability to control dragons, so she was slightly worried about Hayai's ability to resist being controlled.

Regardless of this, she removed her royal clothes, which consisted of a long white dress with matching long, white gloves which reached halfway between her elbow and shoulder. She also wore white, heeled shoes and, of course, her crown.

She removed them all except for her crown in favor of a black skin tight, stretchy shirt and short pants, which reached slightly below her knees. She wore long, segmented, metal boots which reached up to her knees, as well as matching metal gloves, which reached her elbows. Over her shirt, she wore a dark silver, segmented piece of armor which wrapped around her upper body. It fit tightly on her body, making it easier to move in.

She tied her hair back to stop it from flailing about when she moved. She then strapped a sheath to the side of her waist, in which she put a Derf, who she had kept with her when Saito was sent to rest with Sasha. He had spent the entire time asleep, either out of depression or exhaustion. When she was done, she looked at herself in a mirror.

She chuckled slightly as she compared herself now to before she met Saito. She thought of how weak and immature she was back then. How she always had to rely on someone else to protect her. But she felt a sense of pride when she saw how much she changed. Not only did she feel that her body was stronger, but her mind and soul were stronger than before. She attributed all of these changes to Saito, which gave her the motivation to fight for his sake. She even had children now, which motivated her even further.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her dragon, who poke her on her head to break her out of her trance. She smiled and rubbed his chin, much to the beast's enjoyment. She hopped on his back, then they began to walk out of the palace. Everyone they passed on their way bowed towards her as she rode past them, which made her feel rather uncomfortable.

She quickly rode away from her palace and towards Tristania. She chose to ride there instead of teleporting because she wanted to put off the grave meeting she was going to have very soon. Despite this, Hayai, being extremely fast on his own, quickly ran to Tristania without using his powers as well. In a matter of hours, they were within sight of the capital. Overhead, Louise could see several airships, indicating that some of the other leaders had arrived.

She took a deep breath, then began to make her way to the city walls, full of anxiousness.

 **In Sasha's house**

Saito stared up at the ceiling, still unable to move anything other than his eyes and, with great difficulty, his head. He knew that the ancient dragon would soon awaken, but there was nothing he could do about it. His heart ached with worry, as he wasn't sure if Louise was capable of handling it alone.

As he thought, Sasha walked into the room holding a plate of food. The smell of fish, rice, and vegetables distracted him from his morbid thoughts. Sasha sat him up and helped him eat. It was, for Saito, extremely humiliating.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"For what, may I ask?" Sasha replied, beckoning for him to open his mouth.

"I'm sorry that you have to take care of me like this." He replied. "It's so humiliating."

"Even I have been taken care of like this before." Sasha replied. "There is nothing wrong with receiving assistance when necessary."

"Still, you're such a dignified and noble person. Isn't this kind of thing below you?" Saito asked.

"Perhaps it is, although I don't see it that way." Sasha replied. "I may be noble or dignified, but it is my duty as a conscious being to help another person who cannot help themselves."

"I can't thank you enough." Saito said. "I'll find a way to repay you."

"You repay me by caring for Louise. I need no other payment." Sasha said.

"You two got awfully close while I was away." Saito replied. "I didn't know she meant that much to you."

"She is as close as family to me." Sasha replied. "I'll kill you if you break her heart."

Saito face drained of color when he heard her words. Throughout this whole time, he had completely forgotten that she was one of the most powerful people to ever exist. Her strength dwarfed his own, something quite remarkable considering how strong he was. Somehow, when she spoke those words, the reality of who she was hit him like a train.

"How can you say that so casually?" He asked timidly, feeling immense fear.

"Why would I not speak the truth in a casual manner?" She asked, genuinely confused by his question, which only served to scare Saito even more.

"There's a thing called subtlety." He thought to himself.

"Perhaps there is such a thing as subtlety, but being subtle has never been a virtue of mine." Sasha said, almost like she hard his thoughts.

"Did you just read my mind?" He asked.

"Of course not." Sasha replied. "What a preposterous assumption."

"How can someone be so scary?" He thought to himself.

"I may be frightening on the outside, but I'm not out to hurt anyone." She said. Again, as if she heard his thoughts.

"How are you doing that?!" Saito exclaimed.

"What ever do you mean?" Sasha replied, sipping tea.

"You keep replying to things I'm thinking in my head!" He said in fear.

"Hm? I believe such a fantasy is simply a figment of your imagination." Sasha replied. "Perhaps you need more rest."

As he was about to scold her for thinking he was insane, he felt three powerful sources of magic arrive in the vicinity of the house, one of which was even stronger than anything he ever felt from Sasha. He was extremely alarmed as his mind raced with images of the various threats that could be waiting for him. After all, the only people he knew with anywhere near that much power were himself, Louise, and Sasha, although he had never felt all of Sasha's strength.

"Relax." Sasha said. "It's just Mariel."

"Who?" Saito said, struggling to remember that name.

"My eldest sister." Sasha said, closing her eyes with agitation as she uttered those words.

"Do you...not like her?" He asked.

"I like her. I dislike her place as my eldest sister." Sasha replied.

"Eldest? You mean you have others?" Saito asked.

He saw Sasha's face contort with anger and sadness when he mentioned this, although the anger didn't seem to be directed at him, so much as herself. He desperately wanted to ask her about it, but soon, her face returned to normal as she heard footsteps coming to her door.

She got up and opened the door, where Saito saw a beautiful, tall, elvish woman with bright eyes and black hair. She looked quite a bit like Sasha, making it obvious that they were sisters. He noticed that she was carrying two objects in each of her arms, which were clearly the other sources of the magical power he was feeling.

"It's good to see you, elder sister." Sasha said. "I see that in your promiscuity, you have had more children."

In a motion too fast for Saito to see, Mariel hit Sasha over her head, making her whimper slightly

"They aren't mine, little sister." Mariel said, setting them down on a one of Sasha's chairs.

"Saito is awake." Sasha said, still rubbing her head with a tear coming from one of her eyes.

"He is?" Mariel said, looking at Saito, who was now laying down. "Hello there. I'm Mariel, Sasha's older sister."

"Hello. I'm Saito, Louise's fiancé. I'd sit up to talk to you, but I can't move at all." He replied.

Mariel helped him sit up, letting his back lean on the wall.

"Your wife treasures you. She even refused to name your kids without you." She told him.

"My kids? You mean there's more than one?!" Saito said with shock.

"Yes. Louise had twins." Mariel replied.

"Twins. And I wasn't there to support her..." Saito said, sadly. Mariel could see how heavily he desired to be there when they were born, which made her feel that he was worthy to be Louise's husband.

"You couldn't be there, but it wasn't your fault. It was out of your control." She said. "Regardless, I have brought them here."

"Here? Why?" He asked.

"The dragon which you once fought is awakening. Little sister wanted me to bring your children here for safety." Mariel replied.

"I see." Saito replied. "Where are they?"

"Did you not see them in my arms?" Mariel said, slightly laughing.

She picked each of them up from their blankets and laid them onto Saito. They seemed to recognize him as a father or, at the very least, some kind of relative. Tears of happiness began to roll down Saito's face as they played with his tail, pulled on his now extremely long hair, and pinched his cheeks.

He was also quite interested in the features they inherited from him. He seemed to become mesmerized by their bright eyes and colorfully glowing tails. They were also incredibly strong. Not enough to hurt Saito, but several times stronger than any human child from his own world. When he managed to stop his tears, he began thinking about how much magical strength they possessed.

"Sasha, do you know of any races whose children are this powerful?" He asked.

"No. These children are unusual because of you and Louise's...lack of humanity so to speak." She replied. "Because of your fusion with Gandalfr and Louise's mixed blood, the amount of magic they possess surpasses your triangle class mages, and is on par, if not more than your square class mages."

"They may be in danger." Saito said.

"No one in your world knows of their existence other than the doctors who delivered them and the guards who kept watch while Louise was in labor." Mariel said. "They should be safe, but be careful regardless of this."

"Thank you for letting me see them." Saito said. "I don't know how I'll show this to my parents."

"There's nothing they can do. You love your kids and you love Louise. That's all that matters." Mariel replied.

"Thanks for the support." Saito replied. "How did things go after I passed out at the peace conference?"

"Well, as soon as Louise saw how hurt you were, she destroyed the Germanian army which attacked you, then captured Albrecht." Mariel said. "The magic she used was...uncharacteristically sinister."

"I must have caused her a lot of pain." He said to himself sadly.

"Perhaps, but in her anger, she destroyed quite a large part of the Germanian army and captured Albrecht." Mariel replied. "Don't feel bad."

"If you say so. And what happened after that?" He asked.

"It turns out that the Germanian citizens and soldiers were tired of the war, so you allies took the country without opposition. Albrecht's wife has been made Empress of Germania." She replied.

"How much does Germania have to pay for the war?" Saito asked.

Mariel thought it was a rather strange question, but Saito had very valid reasons for asking. In his history classes in high school, he learned about how the Germans were unhappy with the harsh treatment they were shown after world war one and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Because of their harsh living conditions, failing economy, and lack of national pride, they were willing to elect an extremist dictator, which led to world war two.

"Much of Germania has been split between the winning nations, but they have all done their best to ensure that the Germanians are treated fairly." Mariel replied. "They have, however, acquired quite a few weapons and bases throughout Germania."

"As long as the Germanians are treated fairly, it should be okay." Saito replied.

"Why are you so concerned with the enemy's well being?" Sasha asked.

"In my world, there was a war similar to this one, although it started differently." He replied. "We call it the first world war."

"First?" Mariel asked.

"Yes. A country in my world called Germany was blamed for the war and was harshly punished. The people became upset, which made them elect an evil man as their leader. He caused the second world war." Saito explained. "Nowadays, world wars don't happen because we have weapons that could destroy the world if the countries who possess them were to fight. We just have terrorism instead."

"I see. I'm sure the Germanians will be happy with their new leaders. There's no need to worry." Mariel said.

"Hopefully..." Saito said, slowly drifting to sleep.

The two children that played on top of him had already begun to sleep, so perhaps seeing them rest caused him to feel tired. Either way, he was happy that the last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the peaceful sight of his children sleeping.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Halkeginia, a sleeping beast's eyes opened as it hungered for the lives of the Void Mage.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Thanks for reading the chapter, guys! I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted it to come out a bit sooner, but I had other preoccupations. Send me a PM or review with your thoughts and ideas. I'm glad to hear anything you have to say. Thanks again for reading! See you next time!**


	46. Chapter 46: Another Threat

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I can't believe I managed to get another chapter out this week! Sorry if it seems rushed, but I hope you like it. The ancient dragon "arc" will most likely not be very long unless I spontaneously think of something that somehow lengthens it. Anyway, enjoy chapter 46!**

 **Chapter 46: Another Threat**

Louise leaned on Hayai inside Henrietta's palace. The other leaders were gathering forces to surround the city. She had informed them that all four of the void mages must be in a single location to attract the ancient dragon. As she sat thinking about the best way to defeat it, she was approached by the other leaders.

"Louise, is Saito well enough to help us fight?" Wales asked.

"No. The last time I was told of his well being, he was still unconscious." Louise said. "We're going to have to do this ourselves."

"Then our odds aren't very high." Henrietta said. "From what I've heard from Saito, it sounds like the most dangerous threat we'll come across."

"We'll be fine. I'm much stronger now than when Saito fought it alone." Louise said. "Tell me, what military blueprints have we acquired from Germania since the war."

"We have received several plans for smaller caliber weapons, as well as a few large ones." Shion said. "However, it appears that the vast majority of Germania's military blueprints have been destroyed or hidden by Albrecht's orders."

"We'll need every powerful weapon we have to destroy it." Louise said. "It should be enough combined with my own power. If I take more time to cast my spell, I could probably destroy it, but I'd need a lot of time to make my most powerful explosion."

"We can buy you time." Alex said. "We'll keep the dragons back until you're ready."

"I see. Thank you." Louise said. "I'll start casting the spell now. As soon as it's ready, run as far away as possible. Make sure to take cover."

"Wait, you're starting now?" Vittorio asked.

"Like I said, I'm much stronger now than before." Louise replied, raising her hand in the air to begin casting the spell. "I have a lot more magic than I used to, so I have to start casting the spell now in order to use at least a quarter of it."

"Aren't the explosions you make without reciting your spell strong enough?" Charlotte asked.

"Maybe." Louise said. "But maybe they're not."

"Wait...a quarter?!" Alex asked. "Just how much magic do you have?!"

"I don't know for sure, so I'm doing this as overkill." Louise said. "I'm going to the roof. The dragon will be here in about six days, so you should prepare until then too."

They all nodded, then departed to organize the weapons their armies would be using. Louise went to the palace's roof and began charging her explosion. A small ball of light appeared at the tip of her finger as she chanted her incantation. The wind in the area began to become turbulent and was sucked towards her direction.

The military in the city had to do their best to calm down the citizens, who began to panic about the strange weather. The other leaders sent word to Germania requesting weaponry, which the Germanian Empress quickly provided over the next several days.

Citizens of Tristain were evacuated further north in preparation for the dragon's arrival, while the allied military forces surrounded the capital, placing large caliber weapons towards the direction the dragon would be coming from. All of the army's preparation took about five days.

During this entire time, throughout the night and through the rain, Louise remained on the palace's roof charging her explosion. On the sixth day, the ball of light disappeared from above her finger and she opened her eyes. Hayai, who stayed with her on the roof the whole time, looked up at her with slight confusion.

She patted his head then jumped down from the roof onto the ground. She casually walked inside, where she found Henrietta and the other leaders organizing when to fire which weapons. They were very surprised to see her there.

"What are you doing here?" Shion asked quietly. "I thought you'd be charging your explosion."

"The ancient dragon is about 100 kilometers away." Louise said. "We're going to attack it now. If I charged any more, this city would be destroyed."

"100 kilometers. You're saying that little of your power is enough to destroy the city from there?" Wales said, slightly in disbelief.

"I believe so. I'll open a large world door in front of our militaries so that they can fire at the dragon from here." Louise explained.

"Wait, if you stopped charging your magic, you won't be able to use it will you?" Henrietta asked her with a worried expression on her face.

"Well, as long as I have the magic set aside specifically for that kind of usage, I can release it all whenever I want." Louise replied. "I'll open the world door in about an hour. Tell the soldiers to get ready."

"You know, Louise, you are a Queen as well." Henrietta said. "You also have the authority to command the military."

"I don't like addressing crowds." Louise replied. "I'm not used to it yet, so it makes me nervous."

"It's never too late to start practicing is it?" Alex asked.

"Maybe another time." She replied, very obviously scared of the prospect. "Tell me when the armies are prepared."

She quickly walked away to a quiet part of the palace. She used this hour to rest her weary head. She had several things on her mind, from the economics and stability of her own country, to the well being of her family.

She didn't want to think of these things at such an important time, so she did her best to remove the thoughts from her head. After about 45 minutes, one of her soldiers came to inform her that the army was prepared to fire on command.

She nodded and walked outside, her dragon following close behind her. She stationed herself in front of the army, while the other leaders stood on airships that hovered above her. After a few moments of mental preparation and making sure all of the army's weapons were ready, a white light shot from her finger and into the air.

It expanded into a large circle and through it, everyone could see a massive, black dragon walking towards them.

 **In Sasha's House**

Saito woke up from a quite unrestful slumber. His sleep was haunted with images of the countless battles he had witnessed or taken part in. He remembered the faces of every soldier he had killed, especially those he fought against most recently.

When his eyes shot open, he had a cold sweat. It was pitch black, with the only light in the room eminating from his glowing orange eyes and tail, as well as the glowing tails of the small children that slept on his belly.

He felt comfort in seeing them with him, but was quite sad that he still was incapable of moving on his own to lift them up or pinch their cheeks like he dreamed. With these thoughts in mind, he, with great effort, started to try and move his arm. For hours, he kept working to move, with varying degrees of success.

When the sun was about to rise, he manages to lift his arms into the air for about a minute. Although such a simple task was extremely difficult, it made him happy to know that his body was recovering.

"If I keep trying this every day, I'll be able to stand in no time." He thought to himself, looking at his kids. "Then I'll finally be able to hold you two like a father should."

"How sweet of you." Sasha said, scaring Saito enough to make his body jolt a little.

"Don't scare me like that!" He exclaimed. "Besides, what are you talking about?"

"How you wish to hold them like a proper father. It's very sweet." She replied, yawning as she leaned back in her chair.

"Are you reading my thoughts?" Saito asked.

"I am, or was, the right hand of god, not the mind of god." She replied. "Telepathy is not one of my abilities."

"Then how do you know what I'm thinking all the time?" Saito asked, not believing her for a minute.

"Call it an old woman's intuition. How nice it is for strong children like them to have a sibling to care for them." She said, quickly changing the subject.

Her statement made Saito's curiosity grow. He remembered how she reacted the last time he mentioned siblings to her and decided that this could be an opportunity to learn more about her past, even if it meant making her slightly agitated.

"Sasha, do you have...other siblings?" He asked her.

Just as before, she looked extremely sad and angry at the mention of the subject. The air in the room seemed to shift with her emotions, and her hair began to float as an aura of magic began to surround her.

The room began to shake quite heavily. However, when the children who rested in the room began to fuss in their sleep, she immediately seemed to snap out of it. Their soft cooing seemed to strike a chord in her heart, making her calm down.

"I'm sorry." She said, looking down into her lap.

"Did something bad happen?" Saito asked.

"Forgive me, but I do not wish to speak of my family." She replied, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I apologize." Saito said, realizing just how much it hurt her to think about it. "It was indecent of me to ask you."

"It's okay." She replied, returning to her normally stoic demeanor.

He smiled, happy that she was feeling happier, at least on the outside. As soon as she was back to her normal self, the air in the room returned to normal and his kids stopped fussing. However, almost immediately, Saito sensed magic which was undoubtedly Louise's.

"She's about to fight." Saito said, feeling his heart sink.

"Worry not. She will win." Sasha replied.

However, as she said this, she felt another magic at the same time. It didn't belong to Louise or the ancient dragon, but it was sinister in its nature. It was particularly powerful, but it somehow felt extremely manipulative.

"Do you sense that?" She asked him.

"The dragon? Yes." Saito said, unaware of what Sasha meant.

"Not the dragon. There's something else." She said.

Saito closed his eyes, trying to see if he could feel anything, but he felt nothing out of the ordinary. All he felt was the dragon, Louise's massive reserves of power, as well as much weaker mages who would be helping her fight.

"I don't sense anything else." He said.

Just as he said this, Mariel, who had gone fishing when it was still dark, ran into the room and held Sasha by her shoulders. She didn't say anything for several seconds, as she had to catch her breath from how fast she came to see Sasha.

"Do you feel that?" She asked. "That magic."

"I do, older sister." Sasha replied.

"It's so...distorted and wicked." Mariel said. "But it doesn't feel like any magic I have ever felt before."

"Yes." Sasha replied. "But do you not find it strangely...familiar?"

Mariel was quiet, indicating that she agreed. They all sat in silence as they thought about what it could possibly be.

"As twisted and bent as this 'magic' is, it's personality rings a bell." Mariel said. "Little sister, I believe we should go and investigate."

"We are forbidden from interfering with human affairs." Sasha replied.

"This may not just affect the humans, but us as well!" Mariel objected.

Sasha thought for a few moments. "If we must go, we must take the other representatives with us. However, we will only observe. We will not interfere."

Mariel nodded and left to prepare to leave. Sasha turned back to Saito who, although confused by the situation, understood that it was most likely something extremely serious.

"Saito, I will leave you here to heal." She said. "I will have a doctor come to care for you in my absence."

She handed him a spherical, translucent green stone with some kind of ancient writing carved into it.

"If anything happens, feed your magic into this stone, and I will arrive as quickly as possible." She said. "The people of this Kingdom despise humans. There is no guarantee that the doctor I send will be any different. If that so happens to be the case, do not hesitate to kill them if need be. Louise's children are my priority."

"Thank you." Saito said, genuinely moved by Sasha's actions. "For everything."

"You are my in-law, after all." She said, kissing his forehead. "Stay safe."

"You too." Saito said as she put on armor that he had never seen before. It consisted of several bronze looking plates of metal that surrounded her arms, legs, and chest. Underneath it, she wore what seemed like a shiny, black, one piece suit made of silk. However, it was actually made of several small threads of metal which were woven together to create an incredibly strong piece of cloth-like armor.

As she walked out of the door, she turned back and gave him a smile before closing the door behind her and running into the forest to find her sister. Saito sighed and spent the next several hours training his body to move, with his two babies still fast asleep on his bed.

"They sure do sleep a lot." He thought to himself when it was already afternoon.

Just as he thought this, he heard a knock on the door. He sensed an average amount of magic, but still pulled his kids closer to him as an instinct. Through the door came a tall and very beautiful woman with four, dark blue wings on her back. Unlike Helen's, however, they looked like a dragon's, featuring a leathery surface rather than the plush feathers that Helen had.

She had shoulder length black hair and rather pale skin, although her very luscious lips were quite colorful. Her eyes shimmered dark blue and were surrounded by a dark blue eye liner, and she had a rather flat chest for her massive height. She wore baggy, white pants and a long sleeved, dark blue shirt. When she closed the door behind her, she stared directly at Saito. After very obviously observing him for a few seconds, she bowed and introduced herself.

"Hello." She said. "My name is Laura. I am to be your caretaker until Lady Sasha or Madame Helen return."

"Hello. My name is Saito." He replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Lady Sasha has already informed me of your current condition." She said, sitting down on a chair. "I hope my services are adequate."

"Don't worry about that." Saito replied. "I do have one question for you though."

"I will answer you to the best of my ability." Laura said.

"Do you hate me?" Saito asked, looking extremely serious all of a sudden.

Laura was taken aback by the sudden and blunt nature of the question. She remained silent for a few seconds, contemplating what Saito could possibly mean.

"I'm not sure I understand." She replied.

"Do you hate me for being a human being? You see, these two are my children." Saito said, managing to point at the sleeping babies next to him. "As their father, I love them with all my heart. If you are a threat to them, tell me now and leave. If you pose a threat to them and you don't tell me, you may be killed."

"I understand." Laura replied. "I do not hate you."

Saito scanned her face and her voice for signs of lying, but he deduced that she was telling the truth, causing him to relax and become his normally jovial self.

"Sorry about that! I didn't mean to threaten you!" He said, laughing with embarrassment.

"Please, don't apologize." She said, smiling back at him. "I expected you to be rather harsh from what Lady Sasha said."

"And what exactly did she say?" Saito asked, squinting with suspicion.

"She said that there was a strong monster in this place that I had to take care of." She replied, quite childishly.

"Monster...that's harsh in itself." He said to himself. "So what are you going to do to me?"

"Well, Lady Sasha said that I'm the only other person in this Kingdom who knows that you're here right now, and that I was not to tell anyone else of your presence." She replied. "I am a doctor, so she wanted me to help speed up your recovery."

"Speed it up?" Saito asked. "How so?"

"I am quite adept at using human, elf, anioły, dwarf, and elf magic." She replied. "I simply have to figure out which would be best for this process, then we can begin."

"Wow! You must be a genius!" Saito said, in awe of Laura's accomplishment in learning all of those kinds of magic.

"Well, perhaps a little." She said, clearly flattered by being called a genius. "Now, let's begin."

Saito nodded and laid back on his bed, making his back as straight as possible, although this was extremely difficult and rather painful. Laura closed her eyes, seemingly meditating. When they opened, they looked like swirling masses of color.

She put her hands on Saito's belly, where he could feel a strange feeling moving through him. Although slightly scared, he was prepared to do whatever he had to as long as it meant giving Louise a hug again.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry for the rather late chapter guys! I had to review for semester finals during this week, so I wasn't able to write as much as I wanted to. That may show in the quality of my work, but I hope you understand. Thanks for reading guys! Send me a review or a private message with your thoughts. I look forward to seeing what you have to say. Thanks again and see you next time!**


	47. Chapter 47: Uncomfortable Victory

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! Since it's the weekend, I have some more time for writing, so I'll try to get two more chapters out. No promises though! We're also getting close to 50 chapters, which is a really aweome milestone. Thanks a lot for your support so far. Anyway, enjoy chapter 47!**

 **Chapter 47: Uncomfortable Victory**

Sasha and Mariel quickly made their way towards Tristain. Despite the massive distance to the capital city, they were within 20 kilometers of Tristania in only about 45 minutes. They could hear the sound of gun fire and, when they came over a hill that overlooked the city, they could see several soldiers firing massive weapons into a large portal in the sky.

Through the portal, they could see a large, black dragon being agitated by the gun fire, but not particularly injured by anything other than the few more powerful, WWII era cannons that the Germanians had somewhat mysteriously acquired.

Mariel was going to go closer, as she couldn't see Louise in the crowd of soldiers, but Sasha held her back.

"We are only to observe, elder sister." She said. "Besides, I can sense little sister's strength in the crowd. She is preparing to launch an attack. I'm sure you can feel it as well."

Reluctantly, Mariel calmed down. She could, after all, feel Louise's magic being concentrated into a single point, which she deduced was where Louise was. For quite a while, they watched as the soldiers and mages constantly fired a variety of magic and weaponry into the portal until, after about ten minutes, the army stopped attacking and began to fall back towards Tristania.

"What are they doing?" Sasha asked herself.

When they fell back far enough, Mariel and Sasha saw that Louise was still standing, pointing her finger at the ancient dragon. After a few seconds, a white beam shot out of her finger and into the portal. Because of their distance from her, it took several seconds for the sound of the attack to reach them.

It was a very high pitched sound, making their ears feel a sharp, piercing pain. They fell to the ground in anguish, covering their ears to dull the sound. As soon as Louise fired off the attack, she closed the world door and quickly made her way back to the city. Sasha and Mariel saw everyone holding shields in front of them, as if preparing themselves for some kind of attack.

"Elder sister, what's going on?" Sasha asked. "They look like they're waiting for something..."

Mariel was silent for a few moments, herself unsure about what they were doing. Just a few seconds after Louise launched her attack, they saw a bright flash in the distance, several kilometers away. It was blindening, outshining the sun itself. When it dulled a little, they opened their previously shut eyes and were shocked by what they saw.

A large, mushroom shaped cloud towered over them in the distance. Lightning bolts flashed inside it as the particles exchanged their positive and negative charges. But perhaps the most disturbing part was the eerie silence that leaned on them with such immense weight.

"Is this...Louise..?" Sasha asked in shock.

"I didn't think she was this powerful..." Mariel said, staring at the massive cloud.

"Do you not think...this could be dangerous?" Sasha asked.

"Dangerous?" Mariel asked, not entirely paying attention to her sister.

"If she were to change when she gets older..." Sasha replied. "If someone were to manipulate her..."

"She will be fine." Mariel said.

They were both silent for a while, then a thought seemd to cross Sasha's mind. She immediately grabbed her sister and ran towards a nearby boulder, hiding behind it.

"What's gotten into you?!" Mariel asked.

"Now I realize why they are preparing for something!" Sasha said, covering her head with her hands.

Mariel stared at Sasha for several seconds, completely clueless and thinking her sister had gone insane. However, after a few seconds, she realized what she meant. She hid behind the rock as well and covered her head.

After about a minute of nothing happening, they both thought that it could be a false alarm. However, just as such a thought crossed their minds, they felt something strong knock them down. It felt like a very big object slammed into them. The feeling was accompanied by a massive boom sound, as well as the sound of trees snapping and wind being blown around them.

It went on like this for more than a minute, after which it finally stopped. Sasha and Mariel were covered with rubble, as well as a few bruises from random pieces of debris that scratched them.

"Are you okay, little sister?" Mariel asked, lovingly inspecting each of Sasha's bruises.

"I'm fine, elder sister." Sasha replied, feeling quite happy about Mariel's affection, but also quite embarrassed.

They stood up and looked around them. Although many trees were still standing, albeit bent, several of the ones with weaker roots were pulled out of the ground and deposited elswhere. Despite the destruction, Mariel and Sasha were more surprised about the person who caused it rather than the destruction itself.

After all, long ago, they had both seen these levels of devastation before. They had, in fact, seen far higher levels of destruction, but they had been caused by a man who they regarded as the most powerful mortal to exist.

"This was meant to destroy the ancient dragon." Sasha said. "I no longer feel its presence, but..."

"That other magic is still there..." Mariel said, completing Sasha's sentence. "Shall we go and confront it? I don't want Louise getting unecessarily hurt."

"Very well." Sasha replied, completely agreeing with what Mariel said.

They quickly began making their way to the last place where they sensed the dragon. It was only about sixty kilometers away, which amounted to less than five minutes travel time for them, as they were not moving as quickly as they could.

When they arrived, they saw what looked like a massive stone statue of a dragon. The ancient dragon had been cremated alive by the power of Louise's attack. It was very clearly no longer alive, yet despite this, Sasha and Mariel felt the same sinister magic in the area. As they moved closer, they were able to tell that the magic dwelled within the now deceased beast.

"Going inside that thing could be dangerous." Mariel said. "If it collapses, we could get hurt. And we don't even know what this magic is."

"It's because we must know what this magic is that we have to go inside." Sasha replied. "Besides, we're both strong. Even if it collapses, we won't die."

"You've always been adventurous, I suppose." Mariel replied, following her little sister.

They climbed up the dragon's body and made their way to its mouth, which they entered with slight hesitation. Using her magic to light a piece of wood on fire, they slid down the beast's dusty throat. Inside, everything was turned to ash, although it didn't appear to have any identifiable organs in the first place.

There were, however, quite an organized series of what appeared to be some kind of corridors. They used their senses to point them in the strange magic's direction. For several minutes, they carefully navigated the dust filled hallways until finally, they found a large open room.

They could feel that the magic emanated from that room specifically, but it was completely empty. They looked around for any clues, but there were none to be found. As they were about to decide to leave, they suddenly heard a very distorted voice. It sounded somewhat more feminine, but also sounded as if many voices were speaking at once. It spoke in an ancient language which they both understood, but had not spoken in thousands of years.

"It's been a while..." The voice said.

"Who's there?!" Mariel yelled, pulling out her sword.

"I didn't expect this to happen..." The voice said, disregarding her question. "We'll meet again some time."

As it said this, the magic in the room disappeared. There seemed to be a whisper in the room as the presence disappeared and then, as if nothing happened, everything became silent. Sasha and Mariel stood back to back in the room, expecting something to happen. After a few minutes of complete silence, they calmed down enough to have a conversation about what happened.

"What was that?" Sasha asked.

"I don't know." Mariel replied. "Do you recognize the voice at all?"

"Not even a little." Sasha replied.

"It seemed to recognize us." Mariel said. "That's worrying."

As they spoke, their ears picked up the sound of the approaching armies of the humans. Because of their policy of not becoming involved with human affairs, they quickly left the area, only wishing to speak to Louise about the issue.

Sasha and Mariel watched from a distant hill as the armies celebrated their quite easily attained victory. They all praised their leaders as heroes for dealing with the massive threats they had to face in the past year and a half. As they watched how happy everyone was, Sasha began to have doubts about whether they should inform Louise of what they saw, or rather, what they heard.

"Elder sister, Louise has been hurting for so long." She said.

"Yes, I suppose she has, hasn't she?" Mariel said. "Why do you bring it up?"

"Perhaps we should postpone warning her of what we witnessed." Sasha replied. "We should give her the chance to have a happy life with her family."

"Perhaps you're right, but doing so could be a dangerous risk." Mariel said.

"She is a mother." Sasha said. "As mothers ourselves, we know how much she must want to be with her children. Worse still, she has not even had the chance to have her wedding. It must hurt her so much to think about it."

"When you put it that way..." Mariel said, beginning to sympathize with Louise's situation. "Fine. I suppose this is something we can deal with ourselves for now."

Unusually happy about the decision, Sasha hugged her sister, making Mariel feel uncomfortable. They made their way to Louise's home, where they waited inside her room for her to return. After several hours of waiting due to Louise having to travel back to her own kingdom, the door to her room opened and Louise walked inside, looking incredibly exhausted.

It took her a few moments to notice the two elves who sat on her bed, smiling at her with a great amount of happiness. When she finally realized who was sitting in front of her, she ran towards them and gave them a hug, making them fall onto the bed.

"It's so good to see you!" Louise said

"Yes, I'm happy to see you again as well." Sasha replied.

Soon, Louise let them go. As she was a rather observant person, she quickly noticed that they were both wearing armor and seemed like something was bothering them in the back of their minds.

"What's wrong?" Louise asked.

"Nothing, we were just worried about you, so we came to make sure you'd be all right." Mariel said.

"Thank you very much." Louise replied, trying her best to sound like she believed Mariel. "How are the kids? How is Saito?"

"Saito and the kids are getting along very well." Sasha said. "It seems that seeing them has inspired him to try and move more."

"That's good. I want to see them as soon as possible." Louise said, sighing with relief. "Now that the dragon is defeated, we can finally live peacefully as a family."

"I look forward to your wedding. We are invited, right?" Mariel said, rubbing her cheek on Louise's.

"Of course! You're my elder sisters, after all." Louise replied.

As they had their touching moment, suddenly, Louise's door flung open. Immediately, in a movement too fast to see, Sasha and Mariel appeared behind the perpetrators, holding knives to their throats. Louise immediately got up, trying to pull Sasha and Mariel away.

"Stop! They're my friends!" Louise said.

With a little more convincing, they finally let go of them and returned to Louise's side. Alex and Shion were petrified by the experience, with both of them become even more pale than they already were. When they recovered their breath, they fell to the ground from the fear they felt.

"I apologize on behalf of myself and my elder sister." Sasha said as she and her sister bowed.

"W-Who are you?" Shion asked quietly, shivering from the life threatening experience.

"I am Louise's elder sister, Sasha. This is our eldest sibling, Mariel." Sasha replied. "May I ask of your own names."

"I'm Shion." Shion said, starting to get over her fear.

"I'm Alex." Alex said, brushing away his long hair which covered his face when he fell.

As soon as she saw his face, Mariel's mood immediately changed. She became far more serious, almost emotionless, in fact. She didn't say anything at all. Instead, she just stared at him for a few seconds with a blank face, then turned to speak to Louise.

"I'm sorry, littlest sister, but I'm afraid I must leave." She said.

Before giving anyone a chance to respond, she walked out of the room and disappeared. Both Sasha and Louise were very worried. It was extremely unusual for her to take on such a serious attitude, especially because of what appeared to be nothing more than a small boy.

"What was that about?" Alex asked.

"I don't know..." Sasha replied, feeling great pain in her heart from seeing her sister in such a condition.

"I'll go talk to her." Louise said.

"I'll come with you. Mariel can be...violent if she's upset." Sasha said.

She bowed towards Alex and Shion, then left with Louise in search of Mariel. For hours, they searched the palace and surrounding area until the sun had gone down. The last place they searched was the beach. As they walked down the shore with the pink and blue moons illuminating their path, they finally saw her sitting on a large rock, staring up at the sky with tears rolling down her face.

They slowly approached her, taking the time to think about what they should say to her. When she noticed them, she quickly wiped away her tears and put a welcoming smile on her face, doing her best to assure them that she was okay.

"What's wrong, elder sister?" Sasha asked.

"Please don't worry. I'm fine." Mariel replied.

"That's very obviously not true. When you saw Alex, you suddenly changed." Louise said. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Mariel stared at the two for several minutes, contemplating what she should tell them. She didn't want them to worry about her, but she also didn't feel comfortable lying to them either. Lying to them, she thought, would be setting a bad example as the eldest of the three.

"Very well." She said. "That boy...is my son."

 **In Sasha's Cabin**

Saito laid on his back looking straight at the ceiling as Laura fed different kinds of magic into his body. It was a strange feeling, as if blood was being taken out of his body, but then put back into his veins again.

"Your spine is damaged." Laura said. "That's why you are unable to move very well."

"So my body couldn't heal it alone, huh? Can it be fixed?" Saito asked.

"Your body cannot heal more complex wounds such as this. For fixing damaged objects, dwarf magic is the best in the world." Laura replied. "I can use it to heal you."

"How does dwarf magic work?" He asked.

"In essence, dwarf magic is the magic of...intellect and manipulation." Laura explained. "Unlike the other forms of magic, dwarf magic is not particularly useful in combat. It is used for constructing various objects or for solving puzzles, including the puzzle of how to rearrange a person's flesh and bones in a way that either improves their ability, or returns them to the way they're supposed to be. It is therefore best used for constructing defenses, making a person somewhat stronger, and by extension, healing others."

"So does the user already have to have knowledge of whatever they're using the magic on in order to be effective?" Saito asked.

"You do have to have somewhat of an understanding of the way things are put together." She replied. "However, the magic also has a habit of accelerating your thoughts and calming your nerves at the same time, allowing you to work more efficiently."

"Wow, that's amazing. Thank you for telling me. I'm ready when you are." Saito said.

"It will be very painful." Laura said.

"I figured. Go ahead." Saito replied.

Laura nodded and closed her eyes. Saito closed his eyes as well and, before long, began to feel a strange feeling in his back. The strange feeling slowly grew into excruciating pain. He could feel the shattered vertebrae and severed nerves in his back shifting and fusing back together.

The whole process took several hours, in which Saito had to try his best not to scream in pain, although his efforts were in vain. Laura had given his children a sleeping medicine so that they wouldn't wake up from the sounds of pain which came from him.

Much to Saito's relief, when Laura finished the operation, she soothed his pain with another form of magic. He wanted to ask her which one it was, but she seemed rather exhausted, so he thanked her for her efforts in helping him instead.

"No need for thanks." She replied.

"So how long will it be before I can move again?" He asked her.

"Hmmm, it would normally be about a week for a normal person, but seeing as you aren't exactly normal, it could be three days or less." She replied. "Be warned, though. Even when you can move, you will be a bit shaky for some time, so you should have someone with you if you plan on walking somewhere."

"I understand. Thank you very much." He replied.

"Again, no need for thanks. I'm happy to help." She replied.

Saito stared at the ceiling and closed his eyes, preparing to fall into a deep, well deserved sleep. As he slowly drifted into unconsciousness, his head was filled with thoughts about what he would do once he saw Louise and how happy he would be once he could run like he used to. These thoughts translated into happy dreams when finally, he fell asleep.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I told you I'd give you another chapter this weekend, and here it is! I also told you the ancient dragon 'arc' would be extremely short due to there being no reason for it to be longer, so if you didn't like that...piss off! Just kidding! If you didn't like it, feel free to tell me in a PM or review. Also, tell me what you want to see next! Spoiler Alert! The next part of the story won't have much action. It will mostly deal with Saito and Louise's ordeal in meeting each other's families. Anyway, I rambled enough. Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you next time!**

 **P.S. I made a map of how the borders of Halkeginia look as of now. It's rather crude with several rough edges, but it should give a fair idea of how things are at the moment. I hope it eases any confusion you might have had! The map link is on my profile page. :)**


	48. Chapter 48: Recovery Begins

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I was hoping to release this chapter a little sooner, but I was preoccupied with life stuff. I'll try to get out more chapters this week, but I am studying for semester finals, so there might not be so many. I hope you understand. Anyway, enjoy chapter 48!**

 **Chapter 48: Recovery Begins**

"Alex is...your son?" Louise asked.

"Yes. I gave him his name. I never thought I'd see him again." Mariel replied, staring at the moons in the sky.

"Are you sure you aren't mistaken, elder sister?" Sasha asked.

"I am positive. I'd never forget my own child's face." She replied.

"If you're sure it's him, why did you run away?" Louise asked.

"He probably hates me." Mariel said, laughing slightly. "I don't blame him. I sent him into this world alone. If he knew I was his mother, he'd never want to talk to me."

"You won't know unless you tell him." Louise replied. "Maybe he'd love to finally know his mother."

"I think you should tell him." Sasha said. "What is the worst that could happen?"

"We'll be there to support you." Louise said, smiling at her.

"Alright, alright." Mariel conceded. "I'll speak with him, but I blame you guys if it goes wrong."

They made their way back to Louise's house, where Alex and Shion had made themselves at home. Mariel stared at them for a few seconds, then turned around, about to leave the room again. However, before she could depart, Louise and Sasha blocked her way. She sighed and turned back to face Alex.

"Umm...hello." She said.

"H-Hello..." Alex replied.

"T-Tell me. Do you...remember your family?" She asked, rather bluntly.

"Family? No. I was abandoned when I was young." Alex replied. "It doesn't bother me anymore. I'm old enough to have gotten over it."

"What would you say to your mother if you could meet her again?" She asked quite timidly.

"Hm? I've never given it much thought." He replied. "I suppose I'd ask her why she abandoned me, then decide how to treat her from that."

Mariel took a deep breath, doing her best to calm her nerves, but to no avail. She began to hyperventilate, which made Sasha and Louise slightly worried.

"Just tell him." Sasha whispered into Mariel's ear.

"Right." Mariel replied. She looked back at Alex, taking one last breath. "Alex, I'm your mother."

Alex stared at her with a blank face. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, so they were all very uncomfortable. After about a minute, he suddenly started laughing, making the situation even worse.

"Stop messing with me!" He said, laughing. "I'm obviously not an elf. My mother is probably already dead."

"I promise you, I am your mother." Mariel replied. "The only way you could live as long as you have is if you had an elf's blood. The only way you could be capable of having your strength is if you weren't human."

"There's no way..." Alex said, realizing how serious she was.

"I'm sorry." Mariel said. "I shouldn't have told you."

She began to walk away, with a sad expression on her face. Just as she was about to leave the room, Alex grabbed her hand. She turned around to look back at him, surprised that he bothered to stop her at all. Tears flowed down his face, but his expression was rather fierce.

"If you are my mother, I want to know why you abandoned me." He said, looking directly into her eyes.

"If you wish to know, I will tell you." Mariel replied. "Where I'm from, or rather, where we're from, the vast majority of people hate humans because of an atrocity they committed in the past. However, your father was a human being. When people found out they...murdered him. I knew they would be after you next, so I was forced to send you away and make you forget about me and your father."

"What was this atrocity that was so bad?" He asked.

"The humans waged a war on the four other races of the world, nearly making each of us extinct." Sasha said, almost emotionlessly. "I killed the man who started the war and helped found the kingdom where our races currently reside."

"I see..." Alex replied. "So you did it for my own safety..."

"I'm so sorry." Mariel said, beginning to cry. "I know your life must have been hard, but I'm happy to have met you. Even if you don't believe I'm your mother, I still love you. I'm happy you're alive."

"I think...I want to believe you." He replied, wiping his tears away. "Even if it's not true, you seem to care about me. Maybe having a mother to look after me...wouldn't be so bad."

Mariel smiled and gave him a tight hug, relieved that everything went well. When she let him go, she noticed the quiet, white haired girl standing behind Alex. Her expression and attitude reminded Mariel of Sasha.

"Oh, this is my wife, Shion." Alex said, introducing her.

"Your wife? You already got married?" Mariel asked.

"Well, let's just say we had a private marriage." Alex replied. "We met last year before the war began."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Shion said, bowing towards Mariel. "I would like to visit your world at some point in the future."

"This one isn't human either." Sasha said, staring at Shion.

She walked behind her, observing every inch of her body. She started to rub her back, feeling her bone structure, which made Shion extremely uncomfortable.

"I'll take you to my world later." Mariel said, pulling her little sister away. "I assume you know Saito as well. He-"

"Is he okay?!" Alex exclaimed.

"I see you two must be close. He is recovering from his wounds." Mariel replied. "He is mostly healed, but he is somewhat paralyzed."

"I'd like to see him immediately." Alex said.

"Well, I suppose he's healthy enough to talk to you." Sasha said. "Very well. We can leave tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" Mariel asked.

Sasha pointed at Louise, who had fallen fast asleep, still standing on her feet.

 **In Sasha's Cabin**

Saito woke up laying in bed. He felt extremely groggy, but pushed himself off of the bed so that he was sitting up. It was already afternoon and rain fell outside. As it was already autumn, it was starting to become quite cold. Laura sat on the floor, letting his children play on her large wings.

"You can already move?" She asked when she noticed that he got up.

"Hm? Oh. I guess I did it subconsciously." He replied. "I still feel kind of weak though."

"Of course. It's been a long time since you've moved, after all." She said.

"I see you and the kids are getting along quite well." He said, laying back on the bed.

"They're very friendly. Quite strong too." She replied as they hung from her wings with their tails.

"Thank god." He said. "Human children can be a handful."

As he said this, the door to the cabin opened. Through it came Sasha, Mariel, Alex, Shion, and Louise. Laura immediately stood up and bowed towards Sasha and Mariel. Alex and Shion's eyes widened when they saw the tall woman's wings.

"Welcome back, Lady Sasha. Welcome back, Madame Mariel." Laura said.

"I told you not to bow towards us." Mariel said. "We're not royalty."

"Are those wings real?" Alex asked subconsciously.

"Of course." Laura said, looking down at Alex, who was much shorter than her.

Louise, only slightly surprised by the scaly wings Laura had, walked straight to Saito. She gave him a hug, slightly choking him. He hugged her back, not wanting to ruin the moment by saying something stupid.

"It's been a while." He said, sitting up to look at her.

"Your hair is long. It needs to be cut." She replied, smiling back at him.

His hair was, indeed, very long. Because of the amount of time he had spent incapacitated, his hair had grown to his waist and was rather unkempt.

"Let me keep it." He replied. "I think it's kind of cool."

"At least comb it." She said, running her fingers through his hair.

"Sure thing." He replied, giving her a kiss.

Their lips remained locked together for several seconds, but they were pulled apart when their children jumped on them, wanting the same amount of affection. They kissed they children's cheeks and played with them for a little while.

"They already look like a family..." Shion said as everyone observed them.

Eventually, Saito and Louise noticed that they were being observed.

"Sorry. We got pulled into the moment." Louise said, chuckling nervously.

"That's fine. You guys are adorable together." Mariel said.

"I think I'm ready to go home." Saito said. "I can stand as long as I have a walking cane."

"As you wish." Sasha said. "I will have Laura visit you periodically to check on your condition."

"Thank you." Saito replied. "What are Alex and Shion doing here?"

"Umm, Mariel is my…mother." Alex said, still having trouble coming to terms with it.

"Really?! Wow! I guess you do look alike, huh?" Saito replied, both excited and happy for them.

"I'm going to teach him everything I know!" Mariel said, hugging Alex tightly.

"I believe Shion is from this place as well." Sasha said. "I want to help her find her parents if they're still out there."

"I see. So I assume you guys will be staying here?" Saito asked.

"Yeah." Alex said. "I'll stay here for a few days, then I'll come back."

"I'll remain here until I find out about my family." Shion added.

"Alright. I guess we'll see you when you get back." Louise said.

She helped Saito stand on his own feet. It was still very difficult for him, but he could hold himself up with a cane. Louise opened a world door to her palace and led Saito through it, letting him sit down on a chair.

She then went back through the door and picked up her children, setting them on Saito's lap. As the world door closed, they waved goodbye to everyone. As they waved back, the door finally closed, leaving Saito and Louise alone with the children.

"How do you feel?" She asked once the door had closed.

"A little shaky, that's all." He replied. "I'm just happy to be with you again."

"Come on. I'll help you with your hair." She said, trying to divert her attention from her embarrassment.

She left the children in her bedroom, where she would be able to hear them if anything happened, then helped Saito into the bathroom. She had him sit in her bathtub and began to wash and comb his hair and body. He was much skinnier than normal from his time being inactive, and had a range of new scars added to his collection of old ones.

The feeling of her hands scrubbing his head and back soothed him, making his atrophied muscles relax. A feeling of happiness and relief came over him as he realized that his struggles were over and he could now relax with his family. However, the feeling soon disappeared when he realized that he now had to deal with Louise's family, as well as his own.

"Hey Louise, when do you think we should meet your parents?" He asked.

"They'll be visiting me this week." She said. "My sisters are coming too."

"I look so weak though." He replied. "They'll probably be against me being with you."

"This is your country as well." She said, moving his hair away from his face. "Even if they're against it, we don't have to listen to them. Besides, we have children, so we have to stay together anyway."

"Yeah. I'm more concerned about my own parents, anyway." He replied, holding her hands.

"I really hope they understand." She said gloomily. "I know you miss them, after all."

"If they don't like that we're together, I'll just stay here forever then." He replied, turning around to look at her. "Being with you and my kids is far more important to me."

"Speaking of which, we still need to give them names." Louise said.

"I guess we do." Saito replied. "Any ideas?"

"Riza for our daughter." She said quickly

"You sound like you already decided." He replied.

"Well...you gave me a few months to think about it." She replied, rather embarrassed. "You can pick another name if you don't like it."

"I love it, don't worry." He told her, lifting himself out of the tub and putting on a gown. "What about for the boy?"

"Gabriel." She said, just as quickly as before.

"Sounds good." He replied, giving her a hug. "I assume the country doesn't know about them?"

"I made sure to keep them a secret. Only the palace guards know." She replied, as she helped him into bed.

"We should let your parents know first." Saito said, having Louise rest her head on his chest.

"Well, they'll have to find out one way or another. They're visiting soon, so they'll see the kids anyway." She replied, slowly becoming tired.

"I'm more worried about your parents and Eleonore." He replied. "You're not still afraid of her, are you?"

"Not anymore, no." She said. "I got over it."

Saito remained silent, thinking about what happened since he arrived in Halkeginia.

"Hey, Louise." He said. "Tomorrow, do you mind teaching me a little?"

"Teaching you what?" She replied.

"Everything aristocrats are taught here." He continued. "If I'm going to be a King, I'm sure there are certain things I should know. I'd also like to know about what happened since I was made unconscious."

"I suppose I could help you." She replied. "Don't push yourself too hard, though. You're still not well."

"I understand. Thank you, Louise." He replied

After a few minutes of silence, both of them fell asleep, finally able to have a peace of mind. Their dreams were peaceful for the most part, with only a few brief images of the war flashing every so often, only to be replaced by images of their happy future together.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! Sorry for the late chapter, as usual. I promise, I'm doing my best to get them out on time, but life doesn't always agree with you. The first thing I want to address is that the link to the map of Halkeginia is on my profile page. I moved it there after realizing that doesn't support links for whatever reason. It is quite a crude map, so bear with me. Anyway, thanks for reading. See you next time!**


	49. Chapter 49: First Impressions

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! The next chapters will mostly be dealing with Saito and Louise's interaction with their families (mostly Saito's family). There will be little to no action at all. That's not to say the plot won't move forward, just that it might be slow for some of you. Anyway, enjoy chapter 49!**

 **Chapter 49: First Impressions**

Saito woke up one morning. It was the day Louise's parents were supposed to arrive, so he was extremely worried. He dressed himself in clothes similar to the ones he wore during his coronation ceremony, complete with his crown sitting on his head.

He let his now long, flowing hair hang outside his coat down to his waist. He chose not to wrap his tail around his waist, as he found it extremely uncomfortable. Besides this, his children had tails as well, so hiding his would be meaningless.

He had spent the past four days since he came back to the human world studying. He wanted to make sure he knew enough to impress Louise's parents, so he spent day and night studying the history of Halkeginia, as well as the political and social policies of their neighboring countries.

As he put on his coat, Louise came to help him. Because he was wearing the clothes from his coronation, she chose to wear hers as well. In the four days since he arrived, he had also managed to start walking more on his own. He still needed a cane, but he no longer required someone to be with him and help him walk.

"They'll be here in a few minutes. Are you ready?" Louise asked.

"Yeah, I think I am." He replied. "Where are Riza and Gabriel?"

"They're in their cribs." She replied. "I'll go and get them."

Saito nodded and waited for Louise to come back with their children, who were acting as jovial as always. They dressed Gabriel in a black, one piece pair of pajamas and a hole on his back for his tail. They dressed Riza in a matching piece of clothing which was white instead of black.

When Louise came back with them, Saito picked up his daughter and put her on his back. Louise carried their son in her arms. As they looked in a mirror, they felt proud that they had finally started a family together. As they thought about it, a guard arrived in the room.

"My Lords, the Vallière family have arrived." He said.

"Thank you. Please allow them to come inside. We will meet them downstairs." Louise replied.

The guard bowed and left the room. Saito took a deep breath and looked at Louise. She didn't look nervous at all, which gave him some more confidence. He rubbed his children's heads, then they began to walk downstairs.

"We should leave the kids in here for now." Saito said. "We might shock your family otherwise."

"You're right." Louise replied, pulling Gabriel from Saito's back. "And what about Hayai?"

Saito looked at the dragon that was laying beside their bed.

"Let's bring him with us." Saito said.

The dragon seemed to understand him, as it got up and walked next to them as soon as he finished his sentence. As they came down the stairs, with their superior hearing capabilities, they were able to hear the sound of Louise's family discussing what they were expecting from her spouse. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Saito saw the faces of Louise's family, all of which stared at himself and Louise with an extreme amount of judgment.

"Hello Mother. Hello Father. Hello my dear sisters." Louise said.

"Louise, you look different." Cattleya said. "You're so grown up."

"Thank you, elder sister." Louise replied.

"And who is this?" Louise's father asked, referring to Saito.

"I am Louise's husband." Saito said, bowing slightly. "Pardon my walking cane. I was injured during the war and have yet to fully recover."

"You are Louise's husband? And what is your social status?" Éléonore said, cutting straight to the reason for her being there.

"King." Saito replied simply. "You see, Louise is the Queen of Côte de Nice through me. Although, before I was made king, I was technically a plebeian."

"So you're a pleb." She replied.

"Does that bother you?" Saito asked, seemingly becoming irritated.

"The Vallière family cannot be disgraced by my little sister marrying a pleb!" She replied.

"Regardless of what any of you think, I am going to remain with Saito." Louise replied. "Besides, we...already had kids together."

Her family's eyes widened with surprise and, with all of them other than Cattleya, anger. They were silent for several moments, taking in the words she had just spoken. When some of the shock subsided, Louise's mother finally decided to speak.

"You are not to frighten your mother with bad jokes, Louise." She said.

"Mother, I am serious. I have a baby boy and a baby girl." Louise replied.

"Nonsense!" Her father said.

He grabbed her hand and began to pull her towards the palace door. Infuriated, Saito grabbed her other hand and pulled her back, showing the great strength he still had despite his condition.

"That is no way to treat your daughter." Saito said, his eyes glowing with rage.

"You who is not even human has no right to speak of my daughter!" Her father replied.

"Father, if Louise is happy in his company, I believe we should allow them to live as husband and wife." Cattleya said, trying to calm him down.

"Unacceptable!" He replied. "This...thing is not even human! Not only are you a zero at using magic, but you choose this thing as a husband!? You are coming back to my estate immediately! You will be married to Wardes as soon as possible."

Hatred shot into Saito's heart upon hearing that name. He had completely forgotten about his existence since he arrived in Halkeginia again. He deduced that Wardes must have never had the opportunity to do what he did before, as Saito had destroyed Reconquista very quickly.

"I refuse." Louise said coldly. "I love Saito, so I will remain with him."

"We, as your parents, have arranged your marriage already. You will obey us." Louise's mother said.

"Mother, I refuse. If you cannot accept my relationship with Saito, then leave this place." Louise replied, although she seemed to be more afraid of her than her father.

Ignoring what Louise was saying, Éléonore attempted to pull Louise away again. This time, however, Saito tore her hand away, burning it with his body heat in the process. He looked directly into her eyes, with his own eyes striking fear into her heart.

"You heathen!" Louise's father said. "How dare you handle my daughter in such a way."

He fired a ball of magic at Saito, but Hayai seemed to appear from nowhere, letting the blast hit him. It seemed to dissipate into nothingness when it touched the beast's fur.

"It's okay, Hayai. Guard Louise for me." Saito said, rubbing the dragon's head.

It licked his cheek, then laid down in front of Louise, guarding her from her own family.

"Father, if you wish for Louise to leave me, then I will let you do so if you can defeat me in a joust right now." Saito said.

"A man who cannot even walk wishes to fight me. How amusing." Louise's father said. "Very well."

"Saito, you're not well enough for that." Louise whispered into his ear.

"I am. I can defeat your father without moving an inch." He replied. "I may not be as strong as you are, but I'm not weak either."

"Please don't hurt him." She said.

"Don't worry." He replied.

He stared at her father, beckoning for him to attack. Her father lifted his staff into the air and shot a beam of magic at Saito. Saito lifted his hand into the air, at which point, a strange aura of magic began to envelop it.

It was the same magic that came over him while he was healing after his accident in the war. As soon as the Duke's magic touched the dark red aura surrounding Saito's hand, it stopped as if trying to get past a barrier. After a few seconds, it dissolved and disappeared.

Shocked, Louise's father continued to fire a variety of spells at Saito, all of which had no affect, as if they never existed. Saito then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small coin. Faster than the Duke could see, he flicked it directly at his head. As soon as it hit him, he fell onto the ground, unconscious.

"I do apologize for having to do this." Saito said to the Duke's family. "I'm in love with Louise. I won't let you take her away from me."

As his family gathered around him, Louise's father woke up, humiliated by his quick loss. He was quite dazed, so he didn't say anything. In the meanwhile, Saito took Cattleya's hand and bowed.

"I'm sorry for harming your father and older sister, Cattleya." He said. "I know you want what's best for your family, especially Louise, but they tried to take her away. I couldn't let that happen."

"As long as Louise is happy and her husband can protect her, I will support her relationships." She replied. "Besides, you seem to love her more than anything, so I am happy for you as well."

"Thank you. Please, you and your family are welcome to stay here for a while." He replied.

"I appreciate your courtesy." She replied. "If you don't mind, I would like to see these children you speak of."

"Of course. I'll be right back." Saito replied.

While Saito went upstairs to retrieve his children, Louise's father came out of his daze. He looked directly at Louise, fuming with rage. He took several deep breaths, as if contemplating what he would say to her.

"Louise, our family is renowned for our power in using magic." He finally said. "You are the exception to this. Please, don't bring further disgrace onto our name. Marry someone of a higher class so that at least then, your lack of magical ability may be overlooked."

"I'm not weak." Louise said with a calm demeanor. "I've grown strong. Stronger than even you and Mother."

"Even if you are hurt by what we say, making preposterous claims such as that is unnecessary." He replied. "Even your elder sisters have yet to surpass your mother. But you...you cannot even master one type of magic."

"If all you are going to do is berate me, then I would appreciate it if you left." Louise replied, rubbing her dragon's fur. "Saito is the one I chose to be with."

"Your choice is wrong." Her mother said.

"Then let me be wrong." Louise replied, becoming very irritated.

At this moment, Saito came back downstairs holding one child in his arms while one hanged on his back. Saito handed each of them to Cattleya to hold. She found them quite cute, and wasn't fazed at all by the fact that they each had glowing eyes and tails. Most likely because she knew they got these traits from their father.

"They're adorable." She said as they looked up at her face.

"Thank you." Saito replied. "Luckily, they inherited their mother's looks."

"I wish I could have children of my own." She said. Saito could detect the well hidden sadness in her voice.

Saito remembered that Cattleya was never married due to her being ill, but he never knew what exactly her illness was. He thought about trying to heal her, but decided that this probably wasn't the best time for that.

"I'm sure you will one day." He replied, trying to act like he didn't know how sad she really was. "Louise, it will be midday quite soon. Perhaps we should let your family have some food."

"Yes, you're probably right." She replied.

"Before that, though..." Saito began.

He walked towards Éléonore and held her arm where he burnt her before. After a few seconds, he let go, revealing that her hand had completely healed. He walked away before she could say anything, then sat down on a chair, as the amount of activity he did in such a short time made him dizzy.

Louise sat down next to him, rubbing his back. She wanted to ask him about the magic he used when he 'fought' her father, but she was too worried about his condition. His head was pointed directly at the ground with his eyes closed and his skin had become quite pale.

"Do you need anything?" She asked him.

"Some water, please." He said, very quietly.

She nodded and quickly left to fetch him a glass of water. As Saito sat on his chair looking quite weak, Louise's family, apart from Cattleya, were having a hard time believing he was any sort of war hero, let alone a king.

When she arrived, Louise immediately gave Saito the water he so desperately requested. He quickly drank all of it, then fell silent for a few seconds. Soon, color started to come back to his face and he sat up straight.

"I'm sorry, but I think I pushed myself a little too hard today." He said to everyone. "I hate to do this, but I'm afraid I need to go and rest."

"It's okay, I can take care of them." Louise replied.

Saito nodded and went to his room upstairs, where he quickly fell asleep on his bed. For the rest of that day, Louise acted coldly to her family members other than Cattleya. She saw it as their fault for Saito falling ill the way he did.

Despite their many attempts to gain her attention, be it through acting like family or trying to exercise their authority, Louise only treated them as guests, not family. That night, she showed them to their guest rooms, then went to the living room downstairs to calm her nerves.

As she sat in the dark, thinking to herself about what she should do about her family, Cattleya suddenly sat down next to her. Louise was surprised, but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry about Éléonore, Mother, and Father." She said.

"It's not your fault, so don't apologize." Louise replied.

"I know you really care for that boy." She said. "Don't leave him. No matter what the others say."

"They think I'm stupid all because I was never able to use magic." Louise replied. "Now when I tell them I'm stronger, they don't believe me."

"They can be closed minded. Think nothing of it." Cattleya responded as she combed Louise's hair.

"Cattleya, you seem to know a lot about this kind of thing." Louise said. "Surely you can find a man who loves you."

"I'm sure I could, but I wouldn't want them to have the misfortune of having to live with me." She responded jovially. "I cannot have children, you know that."

"Still, there are men out there who would love you as their wife." Louise responded.

"Louise, if such a man exists, he deserves to have a young woman who can give him a son or a daughter." Cattleya said, standing up to go to bed. "Thank you for having us here. We'll be leaving at noon tomorrow. What will you do after that?"

"Well, once Saito gets better, we'll be going to meet his parents." Louise replied.

"Hopefully they accept your relationship a little more than our own did." Cattleya replied. "Good night, little sister."

Cattleya went upstairs to her room, with Louise going to her room as well, where Saito was still fast asleep. She laid herself next to him, wrapping his arms around herself. Soon afterwards, she too, fell asleep.

The next morning, Saito woke up with Louise asleep in his arms. The sight of her peaceful face and the sound of her soft breathing made his heart flutter. As her eyes slowly opened he gave her a kiss on her forehead. She smiled and kissed his lips in return.

"Good morning." He said.

"Good morning." She replied. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much better." He said. "That magic I used yesterday...I'm not used to it yet."

"What is that magic anyway?" She asked.

"No idea. After I was injured, I just felt it come over me." He replied. "I am afraid of seeing what it does, so I'm not going to try anything with it."

"I see." Louise said, remembering what Sasha had told her about the magic he used. "You probably shouldn't use it until we know for sure what it is."

"You're probably right." He replied. "I suppose we should go and see off your parents, huh?"

"Yeah. Hopefully, things don't become too dramatic." She said, getting up out of bed.

They helped each other get dressed, then went downstairs, where Louise's family was waiting for them. There was a rather awkward silence for a few seconds as they all remembered the previous day. Louise's father cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Sir Hiraga, on behalf of myself and my family, please accept my humble apologies." He said. "My behavior yesterday was unnecessary. I just...couldn't accept that my daughter married someone who is not distinguished, but is also clearly not...entirely human anymore."

"I understand." Saito replied. "I'm sure it must have been hard on all of you."

"Indeed." Louise's mother replied. "If you wouldn't mind, we would like to properly meet you some day. Perhaps we may get along better."

"I would like that." Saito said, feeling a great sense of relief. "I will take care of your daughter. I promise."

"I will count on it." Louise's father said. "Now, my family and myself have stayed on your property long enough. Farewell."

"Until we meet again!" Saito said, waving at them as they walked into their carriage and set off.

"That went well-ish." Louise said when her family disappeared over the horizon.

"Yeah. Now to deal with my own family." He replied. "God help us."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the late chapter. I'm doing semester finals so...yeah. There may be another one today. If not, there will definitely be one tomorrow, so look forward to it. I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it! See you next time!**


	50. Chapter 50: Hiraga's Reunion

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! We made it to 50 chapters! It's a proud moment for me, and I'm happy to have reached this milestone so early. I'll try and post another chapter tomorrow if I can. I do have more time now that midterms are over, so look forward to it! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 50: Hiraga's Reunion**

Saito ran along the beach at a brisk pace. It had been about a week since Louise's parents had visited. He and Louise would be visiting his own parents the next day, so he wanted to make sure that at the very least, he was healthy enough to walk and run on his own.

As he ran along the coastline, he could tell that he wasn't quite at 100 percent yet, but he was pretty close. Upon realizing that he was back up to strength, he ran back home, where Louise was busy feeding their kids. Seeing this brought a smile to Saito's face, but also made him start to think.

"Welcome back, Saito." Louise said as she noticed him walk into the building.

"Thanks." He replied. "I think I'm nearly as good as new." 

"That's good to hear." She replied as she put another spoonful of porridge into her son's mouth.

"I've been thinking..." Saito began. "Maybe we should leave the kids here while we visit my parents."

"How come?" Louise asked.

"Well, the shock of seeing me again is already pretty big." He replied. "Not to mention I look the way I do now. If we brought kids as well, it could be too much for them."

"You're probably right. We could leave them with Sasha. She probably won't mind." She said.

"Yeah. Besides, we can use your world door to reach them at any time." He replied

With the topic settled, they both went to bed earlier than normal, as they had decided to leave for Tokyo the next day. Saito felt extremely worried, more so than when he met Louise's parents. The feeling caused him to have trouble remaining asleep. Even when he did manage to sleep, it was not a very sound one, and it was filled with nightmares.

When he woke up, Louise was already prepared to leave. She chose to wear her academy uniform since it was the most similar to the clothes worn in Saito's world. He wore his normal clothes which he had the first time he went to Halkeginia.

"Where are Riza and Gabriel?" Saito asked sleepily.

"I took them to Sasha already." Louise replied as she tied her hair into a ponytail. "She was unusually eager to take them into custody."

"Hm? Maybe she just likes them. I assume you took Hayai there as well?" He asked, combing his own hair.

"He refused to leave the kids alone, so he's there with them." She replied. "Mariel said she'd take care of things in this country while we're gone. I've already given her authorization."

"Won't people know she's an Elf?" Saito asked.

"She can disguise herself as a human. It'll be fine. Besides, Elf or not, I am the Queen. My word is final." She replied.

"Well, I guess everything is sorted. Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied.

Before she opened the portal, Saito picked up Derf and slung him onto his back. Louise pointed her finger into the air and, withing a few seconds, an ovular portal opened in the room. Saito could see the familiar streets of Akihabara in front of him.

It seemed to be evening, as it was dark and there was no one walking around. Saito took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He quickly walked forward through the portal, as if trying to get the action over with.

When he opened his eyes, the portal behind him had closed. Louise stood next to him, looking around in awe at the dazzling lights and signs. Saito held her hand, snapping her out of her trance.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"It's completely different from what I'm used to." She replied. "But it's really amazing."

"It hasn't changed a bit..." He said nostalgically.

"Where does your family live?" She asked.

"It's not too far away, but it's nearly winter and it's dark, so we should wait until tomorrow to meet them." He replied.

"So where will we stay?" She asked.

"Well, there are a bunch of hotels around. We can just pick one to stay in." He replied.

She sighed in relief, happy that she wouldn't have to sleep outside in the cold. Saito wrapped his tail underneath his clothes, then they began walking in search of a hotel. It didn't take Saito long to find one. It looked rather normal from the outside, so they began to walk towards the entrance.

"Saito, how are we going to pay for a night?" She asked.

"Hm? Well I'll just use a gold coin." He replied. "Gold is far more valuable in this world. One piece could probably pay for several days."

He led her inside the building, where he was quite shocked by the decor. There were quite a lot of warm colors, primarily red and pink. He chose to ignore it and walked towards the front desk, where a young man was waiting to greet him.

"Welcome to Shizukana Hotel." The man said, wearing a bright smile. "How may I help you tonight?"

"We need a room for one night." Saito said.

"Ah, one night huh? Very good, sir." He replied, making Saito slightly confused.

Louise, who had no knowledge of the Japanese language, could only stand next to Saito, trying her best to look polite.

"And would the young lady like any equipment brought to your room?" The man asked her.

"Pardon her. She is French and doesn't speak Japanese." Saito said. "What do you mean by equipment."

"Anything to make your stay more comfortable." The man replied.

"No we should be fine, thank you." Saito replied.

"Trying to be natural? Very good, sir." The man replied. "That will be 13143 Yen. Would you like to pay with a card?"

"No. I have something else." He replied.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin made of gold and handed it to the man. The man looked at the coin which shined brilliantly in the light of the room. He picked it up and examined it closely.

"You would be surprised how many people try to pay with fake gold." He said, crouching to get something from underneath the counter.

He pulled out several tools. A beaker, distilled water, a piece of ceramic, and a bottle of nitric acid. First, he scratched the coin on the ceramic plate, then inspected it closely. Seeming satisfied, he put the plate away.

Next, he pulled out a scale and filled his beaker with water. He weighed the gold, then dropped it in the water, taking care to make sure he marked the water's highest level before and after the gold was put into it. After writing down something on his notebook, he once again seemed satisfied.

Finally, he filled a steel container with the acid and dropped the gold into it. After waiting for several minutes, he finally pulled it out. After putting everything away, he came back to talk to Saito.

"I'm surprised this gold is real. It is very pure as well." He said. "But this is enough to pay for several weeks worth of service. Why would you use it on one night?"

"I have more at home." Saito replied. "Anyway, we are quite tired. Will this cover any costs tonight?"

"Of course!" The man replied.

He got them a room key, then led them to the top floor of the building, which contained a penthouse. Once there, the man bowed and walked back to the elevator, feeling extremely happy.

Saito and Louise walked into the penthouse, where there a very large bed with red sheets and comforters. They had a clear view of much of the city from their large window. Saito, however, paid no heed to the view. Not only was he feeling quite tired, but the hotel somehow made him suspicious.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it made him very uncomfortable. As he thought about everything the man downstairs had told him, his sensitive ears picked up a strange sound coming from a room several floors downstairs.

The sound was instantly recognizable, making Saito's face turn red as he realized what he had done. He quietly snuck behind Louise and, without warning, tapped her neck, making her unconscious. He lifted her into the bed, letting her sleep without knowing what kind of hotel they were staying in. As he was extremely tired himself, he laid down next to her and soon fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Saito got up out of bed, feeling rested. He stroked Louise's hair softly until she woke up a few minutes later. She had no memory of being knocked out, so she assumed that she just became tired and fell asleep.

They walked downstairs, where Saito noticed that several other couples were also leaving the building. Wanting to depart as quickly as possible, he simply waved goodbye to the employee who gave them their room, then hurriedly walked outside.

"We could probably get to my parents house by just running fast." He said to Louise, who seemed bewildered at the cars on the road and planes in the sky.

"Okay." She replied, not really paying attention.

He noticed how fascinated she was with the cars, so he decided to call a cab instead. She was surprised by the feeling of the car accelerating, never experiencing something like it before. She was also intrigued by the different materials inside. Particularly the plastics.

Eventually, the cab reached their destination. Saito handed the driver several gold coins, telling him to take them to a gold shop so he knows they're real, then got out of the cab with Louise. They stood on a quiet street with several houses on each side. In front of them was the house that was most important.

Louise took a look at Saito. His face wore an expression of nervousness and fear. She tightly held his hand, doing her best to give him some comfort. He smiled and gave her a kiss, then took a deep breath. Holding her hand, he walked to the gate of the house then, with slight hesitation, rang the doorbell.

For a few minutes, there was no sound, then Saito saw the door to the house crack open. Through it came a familiar face which he longed to see ever since he left. His mother walked towards the steps of the gate, wearing a happy smile.

"Why hello there, young ones. How may I help you?" She asked.

Saito took a deep breath, then looked directly into her eyes.

"Mom, it's me. Saito. I'm back." He said.

She stared at him for a long time, thinking about what he just said.

"My boy didn't have orange eyes." She replied, dismissing his words.

"I promise it's me." He said. "I was born on December 9th. My favorite food is a Teriyaki burger."

Despite telling her those two things, he could see that she was still skeptical. Not knowing how to convince her, he pulled Derf from his scabbard and showed his mother the sword. He could tell she instantly remembered the sword that Saito had bought a few days before his disappearance.

She covered her mouth with her hands. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she looked down at the white blade that glistened in the sun. The memories of her son seemed to fill her mind when she saw his face reflecting off of the pure white metal.

He put the sword back into the scabbard on his back, then looked back at his mother. Tears were now flowing freely down her face, which wore an expression that showed happiness, relief, and grief at the same time. He gave her a hug, doing his best to be as affectionate as possible.

For several minutes, they remained at the front gate, hugging each other. After quite a while, she let go to take a good look at her son. He looked completely different than when she last saw him. She assumed his eyes were orange because of contacts, but his hair was much longer. He was also noticeably taller and she could feel that under his clothes, he was very muscular and lean, although this wasn't noticeable unless someone made contact with him.

She then noticed the pink haired girl who stood next to him, admiring their reunion. She composed herself, cleared her throat, then wiped her tears before speaking again.

"I'm sorry. Please come inside." She said, trying to keep her tears back.

Inside the house, everything was just as Saito remembered. The living room's layout was exactly the same. All of the kitchen appliances were where they always used to be, and everything was extremely clean. His mother had them sit in the living room while she got them tea. When she came back, she set the tea in front of them then took a deep breath.

"Before I ask what happened to you, who may this young lady be?" She asked.

"Oh, this is Louise." Saito replied. "She speaks mostly French, so her Japanese isn't as good as ours."

"Oh, she is French? How odd." His mother replied.

"Hey Louise, do you know a spell that will let you speak Japanese." He asked.

"Yeah." She replied.

Louise pretended to be speaking to Saito, but was actually chanting the incantations for the spell. After a few seconds of 'conversation', Louise turned towards Saito's mother and began to speak Japanese fluently.

"Hello Ms. Hiraga. My name is Louise de la Vallière. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said.

"Oh, your Japanese is quite good." Her mother replied. "Are you two, by any chance, in a relationship?"

Louise turned red and nodded, looking at the ground.

"I'd rather explain everything when dad gets home." Saito said. "Where is Aisaka?"

"She got an internship at a hospital nearby, so she leaves with your father for work every morning." She replied.

"That's good..." Saito said, almost like he wasn't listening.

A feeling of guilt overcame him as he thought about the pain he must have put his family through by leaving.

"Why don't you take off those contacts?" His mother asked.

"These aren't contacts. My eyes...changed color." He replied. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'll explain everything when Father and Aisaka come home."

His mother was extremely suspicious of the whole situation, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and allow him to explain later. During the day as they waited for Saito's father and sister to come home, they spoke about what had happened since he disappeared.

His mother explained that his sister, feeling immense grief for the loss of her little brother, became a workaholic in order to cope with the pain. She worked 7 days a week and did a lot of overtime. It took a tole on her body and she was now much weaker than before. When she eventually did come home, she was detached and rarely spoke to her parents unless necessary. She became so aloof that it even forced her boyfriend, who she had dated for more than five years, to break up with her, which only sent her into a more severe depression.

His father, too, became a workaholic. However, due to his older age, the stress eventually led to him suffering a stroke. Luckily, he made a full recovery, but his boss ordered him to take several weeks off from work.

She, herself, was also constantly depressed, but she did her best not to show it since she was the heart of that family. If she were to resign herself into falling into a deep depression, the family around her would crumble.

Hearing all of these things made Saito feel extremely guilty. A guilt which no amount of comforting would erase, and one he would hold inside of him for the rest of his life, although in time, he would learn to suppress it.

"I'm sorry." Saito said when she finished her explanations. "I didn't mean to cause you all so much pain."

"It's okay. You're back now, that's what matters." She replied. "Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't just disappear for no reason."

"Yeah. I wouldn't..." Saito said to himself while looking at Louise, who seemed bewildered by everything.

A few seconds after wards, Saito heard the sound of the door to the house unlocking, indicating that his father and sister had arrived. Saito stood up and faced the door, waiting for it to open. When it finally did, sure enough, there were the two familiar faces he loved so much, although they looked extremely depressed.

"Who is this?" Aisaka asked her mother.

"Aisaka...it's me. Saito." Saito said, feeling very nervous.

"My brother is dead." Aisaka replied coldly.

"I promise it's me." Saito replied.

He brushed his hair away from his forehead, revealing a very light scar.

"I got this when I was four years old. You and I were playing with building blocks in my room, but you got mad at me and threw one at me. That's how I got it." He said.

His father's face became pale. Within a few seconds, he simply collapsed, about to fall to the ground. Saito quickly grabbed him before he could touch the ground, then lifted him onto a couch. Aisaka stared at Saito the entire time. When he turned around to talk to her once his father was on the couch, she suddenly hugged him, with tears flowing down her face.

He hugged her back, knowing how much pain she must be in. After several minutes, she pulled herself away, wearing a bright smile on her face. She held Saito's face in her hands, making sure to take in the fact that she was there.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"Yes, where have you been, son?" Saito's father said, waking up from his temporary coma.

Saito sat down next to Louise and took a deep breath.

"Please, allow me to explain." He began.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Okay, I'm really sorry about the delay. I fell ill with the flu, so I decided to take the time to recover. But more importantly, thank you so much for supporting me all the way to 50 chapters! I really appreciate it, and I hope we continue to have a strong community around the story. Thanks again, and see you next time!**


	51. Chapter 51: Louise's In-Laws

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! I hope you're having a fantastic 2018! Feel free to send me your ideas! I may implement them into the story! Thanks for your support! Enjoy chapter 51!**

 **Chapter 51: Louise's In-Laws**

Saito's family stared at him intently as he explained the story of his disappearance. He started from the very beginning when he first encountered the portal as he walked on the streets of Tokyo. For hours, he told his story, although he chose not to be extremely detailed in the interest of saving time. He left out the wars he'd been in, the demonic creature that dwelled inside of him, and the existence of Elves, Fairies, Dwarves, and 'Angels'. He also avoided telling them about his status For an odd reason which he could not explain, he didn't tell them the extent of his relationship with Louise. In fact, he never even told them that they were dating, let alone married.

When he finished his story, his family stared at him silently for several minutes. They then looked at each other, as if wondering who should speak to Saito first. After a few more minutes, Saito's father cleared his throat.

"Son, you have to understand that frankly, you sound insane." He said. "How are we supposed to believe something like that? Magic? Dragons? None of that stuff exists. Just tell us the truth."

Knowing that simply saying that he wasn't lying wouldn't help, Saito got up in front of them. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and muster up the courage to do what he was about to do. After a few seconds, he let his tail fall from it's position wrapped around his waist, hidden from view by his hoodie.

It brightly glowed orange as always, although he tried to subdue it's brightness a little. Because of it's great length, he had to move it in front of him so that it wouldn't bother Louise, who sat silently behind him.

His family turned pale as they stared at the long tail before them which swayed gently from side to side. Unconsciously, Aisaka reached her hand out to touch it, not believing that it was real. When her finger made contact with it, it twitched at the feeling of a foreign organism touching it. She was also shocked by how it felt. It was almost as if she could feel Saito's heartbeat within the tail. It was hard to describe, but she knew it was real. It was also remarkably soft, but gave off quite a large amount of heat.

After they had the chance to stare it for a few seconds, he wrapped it around his waist again and hid it with his hoodie. He then sat down again and waited for a response from his family. They were silent again for quite some time before speaking again.

"How did this happen?" His mother asked herself.

"I know it's shocking, but it's the truth." Saito said.

"So your eyes..?" His father asked.

"They're orange." Saito replied. "They glow as well, but I didn't want to shock you too much, so I left them normal."

"And her eyes as well? And her hair?" Aisaka asked, referring to Louise.

"My hair and eyes are naturally pink." Louise replied.

"And the stuff about magic and armies?" Mr. Hiraga said.

"It's real." Saito said. "Let me show you."

He held his hand out and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they glowed brightly and a dark red, fire like aura surrounded his hand. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a stick of butter, which caused it to instantly melt. He then quickly grabbed his mother's hand. She expected to be burnt, but she felt nothing other than a strange feeling on her hand, as if it were enveloped by a field of humid air.

Soon, he closed his eyes again and the aura around his hand disappeared. He started to feel uncomfortable, so he put his hands in his pockets and waited for his family to say something. For several minutes they stared at each other, then after a short while, they began to whisper to each other.

Out of respect for their privacy, Saito and Louise decided to do their best not to hear what they were saying. After a short while, his family turned towards Saito and Louise.

"Okay son, we believe you." His father said. "Or rather, we'll believe you if we see it ourselves."

"See it...yourselves?" Saito asked. "So you want to see that place."

His father nodded his head.

"Well, I guess nothing bad can happen." Saito himself in Halkeginian. "Louise, I guess we should show them."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"We have no strong enemies at the moment, so it should be pretty safe." He replied. "Besides, it will only be for a little while."

"If you say so, but if anything happens, we're coming right back." She said. "We also have to make sure they don't see Riza and Gabriel."

"Riza and Gabriel are with Sasha. We don't have to worry." Saito replied.

"Okay. I'll open the world door." Louise replied.

She stood up and pointed her finger at an empty space in the room. A small ball of light slowly floated from her finger. In her native language, she commanded it to 'open', causing it to expand into a large, white oval.

After a few seconds, the centre of the oval cleared, allowing for them to see the world they would soon be stepping into. She chose to open the door into her and Saito's house on the coast. Saito's family, particularly his mother, was extremely hesitant to walk through it, but after some motivation, they walked through the door.

When they all stepped through it, the door closed behind them. His family's eyes widened as they saw the beautiful room with its polished wooden floors and intricately designed marble pillars. There were several maids walking through the building, cleaning any dust they could find.

When they spotted Louise and Saito, they immediately stopped what they were doing to line up in front of them and bow.

"Welcome back King Hiraga, Queen Vallière. You have arrived earlier than expected." They all said at once, shocking Saito's family. "The weather has become quite cold in your absence, so please take care to wear warm clothing."

"We told you you don't have to bow." Louise said to them. "Why don't you take a few days off. You've been working hard while we were gone. Just come back whenever you're ready."

"You are too kind. Thank you." They all said.

They all left the room in an orderly fashion, leaving Saito and Louise to address their guests from Japan.

"Sorry about that." Saito said. "We tell them that they don't have to be so formal around us, but they never listen."

"Never mind that. Where are we?" His father asked.

"Well, we're on the coast of a...newer country." He replied, trying to avoid calling himself and Louise rulers. After all, his family couldn't understand what the maids were saying, so they didn't hear them address Saito and Louise as king and queen.

His father and mother sat down on a very comfortable chair, needing to cope with the rush of information. Aisaka no longer seemed afraid, but extremely excited and intrigued. Knowing what she went through since his disappearance, Saito was happy to see her smile again.

"I know all this is kind of shocking, so let's go and get food, then we can talk some more." Louise said.

"S-Sure." His mother said, looking at Saito's tail, which he let fall from his waist since he was 'back home'.

Louise and Saito lent them some warm clothes, then led them outside and into a carriage. For about two hours, they rode towards a large town. For the entire journey, Aisaka, who was now extremely curious about everything, bombarded the two with questions.

"What's this country called?! Can we see a dragon?! Are there Elves?!" She asked.

Saito did his best to avoid answering her. He wanted to have a longer conversation about those things after everyone had eaten and calmed down a little. When they arrived at the restaurant, a group of soldiers that were eating noticed them. Immediately, they all saluted Saito and Louise.

"Come on, guys. That's not necessary." Saito said, speaking Halkeginian. "This is my family. I haven't told them about the war yet, so try not to make it obvious that I...did anything."

"Come on! Don't lie to your family! Just let them know!" One of the soldiers said. "They'll be proud of you!"

"I'll tell them later tonight." Saito replied. "Just act normally."

"If you say so." The soldier said.

They walked away towards their table and began to eat and drink again.

"What was that about? Is there a problem?" Aisaka asked.

"No. Just some...friendly banter." Saito replied. "Anyway, feel free to order anything you want. I'll pay for it."

Luckily for Saito's family, the menu contained illustrations of each of the available dishes, so they were able to choose what they'd like. After waiting for about 30 minutes, all of the food was brought to them. There were a variety of things to taste, from meats to roots, most of which didn't exist in Japan or anywhere else in Saito's world.

For hours, they ate happily, with Saito's family seemingly forgetting what was happening. Saito wanted to order wine as well, but decided it would be best not to drink alcohol until the situation with his parents was dealt with.

When everyone was done, they got up to leave, with Saito leaving a few gold and silver coins on the table. When they finally got back to the home on the coast, Saito sat down on a couch next to Louise. He took a deep breath, then exhaled to speak.

"Did you guys like the food?" He asked.

"Yes, it was delicious." His father said, feeling happily full.

"Good, good. Well listen, I have a few more things to tell you." Saito replied.

"Like what?" Aisaka asked.

"Well, firstly, the reason I have this tail. The reason I have fangs and these eyes." He replied. "You see, the first time I was summoned by Louise, this rune was carved into my hand."

He showed them the back of his left hand, which indeed had strange looking runes on them.

"What do they mean?" Aisaka asked.

"It means I'm a type of familiar called 'The Left Hand of God', or Gandalfr." He replied. "It means I'm meant to act as a shield for Louise while she gathers energy. As long as I hold a weapon, it gives me the strength to protect her."

"Ummm, I'm not sure I follow, but go on." His father said.

"The reason this rune gives me power and the reason it got its name is because of a...creature." Saito continued. "It's an ancient creature that was sealed away, but whenever someone has this rune, they're able to access its power."

"So is that why your body is different?" Aisaka asked.

"Not quite. When I came back to this place, I thought nothing would happen since I already had the rune, but instead, my arm was really badly injured." He replied. "We didn't know what was happening at first. All we saw was that more strange rooms appeared on the rest of my arm."

He removed his hoodie, underneath which he was wearing a short sleeved, black shirt. The short sleeves allowed his family to see his quite muscular arms. They immediately noticed that his left arm had some scars which seemed to be from deep cuts and burns.

However, they also noticed the glowing runes, whose color at the moment seemed to constantly change between a pinkish red and peach colored orange. He put his hoodie back on, hiding his arm from them.

"It turns out that these runes happened because I tried to make a second Gandalfr contract." Saito said. "It caused me to 'absorb' a second Gandalfr. At first, the only thing that changed were my eyes, but after some time, the rest of my body began to change as well."

"That's all really confusing, but I think I get it." His father replied.

"I'm glad you're not mad about it." Saito sighed. "The other thing I wanted to tell you is that I've been in...a few wars."

"What? Wars? Like...actual wars?" His mother asked.

"Yeah." Saito replied. "I've actually died three or four times already."

"I don't understand." Aisaka said.

"To put things simply, I fought in a war the first time I came here and I died in the process, but I was revived by an Elf. I'll explain the Elf stuff later." He replied. "The next time, I exhausted my strength as another kind of familiar called 'The Heart of God', which caused me to die. However, since I'm also Gandalfr, I was able to live again. Then I actually died a few months ago in a really big war, but I lived for the same reason."

"I'm struggling to believe that." Aisaka said.

"It's true." Louise said, sipping tea, but looking quite threatening as she remembered what happened. "Speaking of which, I have something to talk to you about later, Saito."

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Saito asked, feeling very afraid.

"Not at all." Louise said. "It's to do with Germania."

"Oh okay. That's a relief." He sighed.

"You two act like you're married." Saito's father laughed.

"That's the other thing I wanted to tell you about." Saito said, remembering that he was talking to his parents. "We're not married...yet, but we're engaged."

His father immediately stopped laughing. They all stared at him in shock for several moments. They looked closely at both him and Louise. At this point, they finally noticed that the two of them were wearing rings on their ring fingers.

"W-When did this happen?" His mother asked.

"Ummm, a year ago." Louise replied. "We were supposed to be married already, but the war got in the way. After the war, Saito was extremely injured, so we had to put it off even further."

Saito's father grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him to one of the corners of the room. He made sure he was out of earshot of everyone. Of course, Louise could hear them as if they were sitting next to her, but she pretended not to hear anything and just sipped her tea.

"Saito, marriage is a big responsibility." His father said. "You have to make sure that you marry the woman you absolutely love, otherwise you'll be unhappy later in your life. Are you aware of this?"

"Yes, I am." Saito replied confidently. "Louise is the only woman I could ever love. I'd give my life for her."

"That's the spirit." His father said, feeling proud. "Just remember this: if your wife is unhappy, you will be unhappy. If she is happy, you'll be ecstatic."

"Thank you, father." Saito said, giving his father a hug.

Louise, touched by what Saito said, held her hand on her chest, trying her best not to smile. As she repeated Saito's words in her head over and over again, Aisaka suddenly sat down next to her.

"So tell me, what is Saito like around you?" She asked.

"Well, he can be very...extroverted." Louise replied. "However, he's also very sweet. He always puts me before himself."

"Do you love him?" Saito's mother asked.

"Yes. I'll always love him and be there for him." Louise replied, blushing bright red.

Saito's mother stared at Louise for a few seconds, evaluating her response. After a few moments, she sighed.

"I can't believe my son is engaged already." She said. "Listen, I don't know how you two came to start loving each other, but please bear with him. He can be quite dull and I don't know what perverse things his father is telling him at the moment, but he's good at heart, so just give him a chance."

"So you'll let us get married?" Louise asked.

"Of course." Mrs. Hiraga said. "As long as you both take care of each other, I have no reason to oppose it. I suppose I have no right to oppose it either. I don't know enough about this place to say anything about what you've been through, but you seem to treasure him deeply. That's enough for me."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hiraga!" Louise said, hugging her mother in law with a great sense of relief.

Soon, Saito and his father came back and sat down.

"So, are you two going to start a family?" Aisaka asked, although she was only teasing Saito.

"It depends on what your response would be if we did." Saito said, wanting to know if he should brace himself before telling them he had children.

"Well, I for one would be happy to have some nieces or nephews." Aisaka said.

"I'm a little too young to be getting called grandma, but I suppose it wouldn't be so bad." Mrs. Hiraga said.

"The thing is, we...already have a baby boy and a baby girl." Louise said, preparing herself for the onslaught of hatred she was ready to feel from Saito's family.

They were all silent for a while, but then started to laugh all of a sudden.

"You nearly got me there! What a funny girl!" Mr. Hiraga said.

"Perhaps we'll show them another time..." Saito said to Louise in Halkeginian.

"You're probably right." She replied. "I could quickly get them now though."

"Yeah, but I think they'd all have heart attacks if we did that now. Let's wait until they have time to digest all of this." He said.

Louise nodded in agreement, realizing that it probably could literally shock them to death.

"So is there anything else you have to tell us?" Aisaka asked.

"Let's see." Saito said, scratching his head. "Elves, Fairies, Dwarves, and what we'd normally call Angels exist."

"Really? How come we didn't see any?" Aisaka asked.

"They have...poor relations with humanity because of a dispute a long time ago. Let's leave it at that." Saito said. "Other than that, the only really important thing to tell you is that I'm the king of this nation. Louise is the Queen."

"You? A king? How? Don't make me laugh." Aisaka said.

"I've done a lot of things during the wars that have occurred. After the first major war, the Queen of another country awarded me a small piece of land." Saito explained. "After the last war, we were awarded a large part territory which used to belong to the defeated country."

"So is that why everyone's been bowing?" His mother asked

"Yeah. Louise was pretty important to winning the war, so I suspect they're bowing more to her than to me." Saito replied.

"Don't be modest Saito. The war would've been lost if you weren't helping in the south." Louise said.

"You're telling us that two people are capable of turning the tide of an entire war? It's pretty hard to believe. Especially a cute little girl like you." Aisaka said.

Slightly insulted by being called a 'cute little girl', Louise seemed to be contemplating some kind of retaliation, which Saito noticed. He held her hand, doing his best to calm her down.

"We should go back to Japan." Saito said. "You guys are probably shocked and tired."

Louise opened a portal to their house, something which still amazed Saito's family. When they stepped through it, it silently closed behind them.

"Louise and I can sleep in my room." Saito said. "Have a good night."

They all gave Saito a tight hug, as if he would disappear if they let go. Slightly choking from the pressure, he gently pushed them off and regained his breath.

"It's good to have you back, Saito." They said at once.

Saito smiled and bowed, then went upstairs to his room with Louise. When they walked through the door, Saito looked around the room with a sense of nostalgia. It was exactly as he'd left it. Everything was tidy, his bed was made, and there was absolutely no dust.

"My bed is kind of small, so I'll sleep on the ground." Saito said to Louise, grabbing a blanket from his closet.

"It's big enough for the two of us." Louise replied, inviting him to lay down with her. "It'll just be a little cozy."

"You don't have something lecherous in mind do you?" He asked, laying next to her and covering both of them with a blanket.

"It depends on what you consider lecherous." She replied, kissing his neck.

The feeling of her lips sent shivers down his spine. He lifted her face towards him and gave her a kiss on her soft lips. Saito seemed to have completely forgotten that he was back home and that his parents were in another room. Before he knew it, he and Louise were already naked, ready to indulge themselves in pleasure that night.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I'm so sorry for the late chapter! I've been flooded with schoolwork, so I've had no time to write. I will guarantee that at least 5 chapters will come out this month, so just bear with me. Thanks for reading guys, see you next time!**


	52. Chapter 52: Another Dragon

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the gaps between chapters, but I already explained the reasons for it last time. Also, I received a PM from an anonymous person regarding the story. Their question was "will there be a sequel to this fanfiction?" In all honesty, I don't know yet. I may write one, but if I do, it will be at least a month before I post the first chapter. Anyway, enjoy chapter 52!**

 **Chapter 52: Another Dragon**

Saito woke up on a beach with bright, nearly white sand. He was completely naked, with quite literally nothing else around him. The sky was clear, with only a few poofy clouds hanging in the air. The waves pushed water onto his bare feet.

He looked in all directions. In front of him stretched a vast ocean with gentle waves bobbling up and down. In both all direction, behind him, to his right, and to his left, the beach stretched as far as his powerful eyes could see.

He closed his eyes and tried to listen for anything, but all he could here was the sound of the crashing waves on the beach. He began to walk along the beach, trying to see if he could find anything strange. After a few moments, about to give up, he heard a dull sound under the water.

It sounded like metal chains moving, clashing together. He walked cautiously towards the water, not sure if he should jump in or not. After a few moments, with his curiosity getting the better of him, he jumped into the great ocean.

Underwater, it was extraordinarily dark. He could not see the floor of the sea, despite being close to the coast. He swam deeper and deeper until finally, he barely managed to see an extremely large chain very slightly moving with the current.

It seemed to be attached to something, as it was pulled straight and under a lot of stress. He looked around some more and saw something peculiar. There was a glowing, light blue dot very far down. It was too dim to identify, but he was determined to swim further to find out.

However, once he got to a certain depth, he immediately stopped. The water turned extremely cold, colder than ice itself. It was far too much for Saito to handle, so he started swimming upwards again. As soon as he breached the ocean's surface, he suddenly woke up in his bed in Tokyo.

It was still dark, approximately 4 o'clock in the morning. Louise slept peacefully next to him, very lightly snoring. Troubled by his dream, he picked up Derf, who he brought with him from Halkeginia, and made his way to the rooftop.

"Hey, Derf." He said, speaking to the sword as he looked at the full moon.

The sword, which had been dormant since Saito was injured during the Germanian War, said nothing. Saito was aware that Derf had been asleep this whole time, but he still attempted to wake him. He shook him around and hit his hilt on the chimney. After a few minutes, a tired voice emanated from the sword.

"Who the hell is hitting me?!" Derf said rather angrily.

"Derf, you've been asleep for months." Saito replied.

"Eh? Partner? You...You're better now?" Derf asked, feeling confused.

"Like I said, you've been asleep for months." Saito replied.

"Where are we?" Derf asked.

"My home in Tokyo." Saito replied, taking a deep breath of air.

"Why are we here? We weren't sent back again were we?" Derf said.

"We're here to meet my family." Saito replied, laying down on the roof. "Things have calmed down since you fell asleep."

"How is Louise?" Derf asked with a surprising amount of concern.

"She's fine." Saito replied. "She's sleeping in my room downstairs as we speak."

"I see. How did your family take everything?" Derf said.

"They were in disbelief at first, but they're okay with it now." Saito said.

"How did things go with the war?" Derf asked.

"We won. After Albrecht was captured, the Germanians didn't have the will to fight anymore." Saito replied. "His wife was made the Empress. I haven't had the chance to speak with Albrecht himself, but I'll do so once we get back."

"Wait a minute...Louise was pregnant! Please tell me the kid is okay!" Derf exclaimed, sounding like a worried grandfather.

"The kid, or rather, the kids, are fine." Saito replied. "We had twins. A baby boy and a baby girl. W named the boy Gabriel and the girl Riza. They're with Sasha right now."

"That's a relief." Derf sighed. "So why did you want to wake me up so badly?"

"I had a strange dream." Saito replied.

"That tends to happen after all you've been through." Derf said.

"No, this dream meant something." Saito replied. "It seems familiar to me somehow."

"Well, if it's something to deal with your soul or whatever, maybe you should ask that beast inside you." Derf advised.

"You're probably right." Saito replied.

He sat up and crossed his legs. Slowly he closed his eyes and began to meditate. Soon, he woke up in front of Gandalfr, who was wide awake and seemed rather agitated.

"You came here about your dream, I presume?" He said.

"Oh yeah, you can see my dreams, can't you?" Saito replied, sitting on the ground. "Any idea what that was?"

"Indeed. Tell me, how many times have you become Lífþrasir?" Gandalfr asked, laying his large head in front of where Saito sat.

"Twice. I died both times." Saito replied, rubbing the beast's snout.

"What happened to you when you became Gandalfr for a second time?" He asked.

"I got hurt. You know that." Saito replied.

"Listen carefully." Gandalfr said. "I believe that becoming Lífþrasir for a second time is allowing you to meet Lífþrasir"

"That was Lífþrasir?" Saito asked.

"Be cautious. She is even more hostile than myself." Gandalfr warned him.

"She?" Saito asked.

"Yes. Did you assume we were all males?" Gandalfr replied.

"Not at all! So how can I still have a link to her if I'm not Lífþrasir anymore?" Saito asked.

"A familiar like yourself never entirely loses their connection to us." Gandalfr replied. "If they lose their power, they are simply unable to access our own reserves anymore. You became Lífþrasir twice and you are not human anymore. Perhaps that makes it harder for your connection to be shut."

"I see." Saito said. "So what do I have to do to get her to talk to me?"

"She hates all humans, so perhaps you should show her that you're not quite human anymore." Gandalfr replied. "Show no hostility. Leave yourself open to attack. You may be able to gain her trust this way. If she does attack you, do not fight back. Just run."

"She seems terrifying." Saito said with fear in his voice.

"You're wrong." Gandalfr said. "She was the sweetest of us all. The one willing to give humanity a chance. But she has been wronged so much, that her heart has become cold."

"That's awful." Saito replied. "I'll do my best to talk to her."

"Good luck, boy." Gandalfr said, closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Saito's eyes opened again as he came out of his meditative state. It was still dark outside, although the sky was turning from black to a deep blue.

"Did he tell you anything?" Derf asked.

"Yeah. It's another creature like him. His sister." Saito replied, picking up Derf and jumping off the roof.

"Sister? Do you have to talk to her?" Derf asked.

"Yeah." Saito replied. "She's apparently more hostile than Gandalfr is, so I'll have to be careful."

"Are you going to tell Louise?" Derf asked.

"No. I want her to relax while we're in Japan. I'll deal with this alone." Saito replied, walking into the house and upstairs to the bathroom.

He undressed and filled the tub with boiling hot water, which after removing the barrier of magic he kept around his body, felt quite lukewarm. He started thinking about how he should approach speaking to Lífþrasir. At this point, he was incapable of going into her realm at will, so he would have to wait until he slept again.

As the water in the tub began to boil from his body heat, the door to the bathroom cracked open. He sister, not knowing he was in the bathroom, walked inside. She jumped from shock when she saw him staring at her.

"Sorry!" She said, about to leave.

However, she hesitated when she noticed his body. He told her he had been in wars, but she now saw the proof in the dozens of scars which covered him. Before he could ask why she was staring at him, she left and closed the door.

"What a weirdo." Saito said to himself, standing up and putting on his clothes. He went back to his room, where Louise had just woken up and was tying her hair with a rubber band. He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, Saito." She said, gently rubbing his cheek.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Yeah. More importantly, you didn't sleep too well, did you?" She said, turning to face him.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well firstly, whenever you wake up as early as you did, it means something bothered you." She said. "I was also able to feel your magic in your sleep. It felt disrupted and agitated."

"I just had a weird dream, that's all." He said, trying to reassure her that he was fine.

"What happened in it?" She asked, not giving him a chance to escape.

"Ehhh, it's hard to remember." He replied, rubbing the back of his head. "If I forgot, it probably means it's nothing."

Although dissatisfied, Louise decided to do him a favor and stop pursuing the topic.

"So what will we do today?" She asked.

"I want to go and meet my old friends." Saito replied. "We should also go into town and look around. I'll buy you anything you like."

"You're such a good husband!" She said, tightly hugging him.

Although he was happy to be feeling this affection from her, the thought of perhaps being killed by Lífþrasir still dwelled in the back of his mind. However, he soon managed to push it away and simply enjoy the feeling of his wife.

 **In Sasha's House**

Riza and Gabriel happily played on a soft rug in Sasha's home, under close supervision of the dragon Hayai. He was extremely agitated, constantly staring in the direction of Mariel's mountain, and shielding the children if they ever started wandering in that direction.

Sasha and Mariel, who sat on a sofa watching them closely, noticed the dragon's extremely protective behavior.

"This dragon has a connection to the magic in the mountain." Mariel said. "Let's just take it there and observe what it does."

"No, Elder sister." Sasha replied. "If something bad were to happen, I would never be able to face Louise again."

"Little sister, we can't keep pushing away this issue. We have to do something." Mariel said. "Louise's husband. This dragon. They both have a strange magic within them. This dragon also seems to be drawn to the mountain. There will be no harm if we escort it there."

"But what about your son?" Sasha asked. "He and his wife have not returned from their trip into town yet."

"Inform them that I took a short walk." Mariel said. "This is important."

"If you really insist, you may take it there. But I am going to stay here and watch over these children." Sasha said.

"Very well." Mariel said.

Hayai seemed to understand what they were talking about, so he lifted the two children onto Sasha's lap, then lowered himself onto the ground to allow Mariel to ride him. She waved goodbye to Sasha, then let the dragon take her to the mountain.

She was shocked to discover the dragon's method of travel, but decided to study it at another point in time. The dragon knew its way around the mountain, successfully navigating the plethora of dark, damp corridors.

After a few hours, they reached the centre of the mountain. It was a vast room which contained nothing but a large, light blue, glowing orb in its centre. Mariel, of course, had been to this room several times to study the orb, but she was never able to take much information about it.

In all of her previous attempts, any tools she would try and use on it disintegrated when they were within a certain radius around the object, so she gave up on it long ago. All she knew was that it excreted a magic which seemed to be designed to work with a counterpart.

Hayai let her off of his back, then walked towards the ball of light. He put his front feet onto it, then closed his eyes. After a few moments, he suddenly jumped back, making sure to grab Mariel as well, protecting her from whatever was about to happen.

After a few seconds of silence, with a deafening sound, a large crack formed in the orb. Several smaller cracks began to form, revealing a bright light coming from inside the sphere. More and more cracks began to develop until eventually, the sphere broke apart and disintegrated into nothingness.

When Mariel opened her eyes, recovering from the blinding light that came from the orb before it shattered, she saw a creature lying on the ground. It looked rather similar to the black furred dragon which was protecting her at the moment.

However, the creature had white feathers instead of black fur, which covered it's entire body, including it's legs. It also had three tails instead of six. It slowly got onto its feet, looking puzzled. After a moment, it seemed to notice their presence. It turned towards them, allowing Mariel to view it's face.

It looked similar to Hayai, but was far more streamlined in the shape of its snout. It had two long ears sprouting from the back of its head. The sclera of its eyes were light blue, while its iris was black and its pupils were white. It was also quite a bit smaller than Hayai was, perhaps around 75% his size.

Despite this, Hayai seemed extremely threatened by the other dragon. The other dragon also seemed to feel threatened, but not towards Hayai, but Mariel. It stared at her intently, with its eyes filling with hatred.

After a few seconds, the two dragons made eye contact. For several minutes, they seemed to be communicating, with Hayai making a series of deep, low pitched sounds and the other making a series of high pitched sounds. Mariel observed, hiding behind Hayai for protection. After several minutes, both dragons seemed to lower their guard, although they both still seemed to dislike one another.

Hayai let Mariel get on his back, then began to leave the room, signaling for the other dragon to follow them. It seemed hesitant, but followed them at a distance. They quickly arrived back at Sasha's house, where Mariel ran inside to talk to Sasha.

Inside, Alex and Shion had returned and were playing with the children. Sasha immediately stood up. Not from her sister arriving, but from sensing the other dragon outside her house. The magic felt strange, like it was extremely heavy and weighing her heart down.

"What the hell is that thing?" Alex said as he, Sasha, and Shion went outside and blocked the door to the house.

"I don't know." Mariel said. "It seems that these two creatures have some sort of relationship."

They noticed the feathered dragon staring at the children, so they covered the doorway to defend them. However, before they realized it, the dragon was inside the room, staring down at the two babies which stared back at it with awe.

After a few seconds, they noticed that the feathered creature was already behind them, something which even Sasha couldn't understand. Hayai seemed unfazed and simply laid on the ground, watching what was happening.

The feathered dragon observed the two children for several minutes, sniffing them and softly pushing them around. Several minutes later, the creature went outside and laid down next to Hayai, trying to gain his attention, but to no avail.

"We have to tell Louise and Saito." Mariel said.

"You are correct for once, Elder sister." Sasha replied.

"What's going on?" Shion asked.

"We're as confused as you are." Mariel replied. "Listen, I promise that I will help you find your family, but this is extremely important. Will you please wait for just a little while?"

"Yes. I understand." Shion said, sounding disappointed.

"Sasha, is there a way we can contact Saito or Louise from here?" Mariel asked.

Sasha thought for a while, then remembered the green gem she gave Saito. She pulled a matching stone from a pouch on her waist, then closed her eyes. It slowly began to glow until it illuminated the entire room.

"Please get hear quickly..." She said to herself.

 **In Tokyo**

Saito and Louise sat around the dinner table with their family, laughing together and telling stories about adventures that both families had at different points in time. Louise was having a brilliant time hearing about Saito's various embarrassments, from being rejected by girls, to his many failures in sports.

When dinner was finished, Louise and Saito cleaned up, doing the dishes together. As they washed, they talked about their day. Saito had bought Louise several items. Clothes, jewelry, shoes, and other random objects.

"Sorry we couldn't meet my friends today." Saito said.

"They're on summer vacation. We can meet them when they get back." Louise replied.

Before Saito could say something else, a bright green glow shined from Saito pocket. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the source of the light, the green gemstone she had given him when he was still recovering from his injuries.

"What is it?" Louise asked.

"We have to go. Immediately." Saito said.

"Go where?" Louise asked.

"To Sasha's place. She's the one who's sending this signal. Something must be wrong." Saito said, thinking immediately of his children's well being.

"I'll inform Mother and Father." Louise replied.

She left the kitchen to inform her family that they would be gone for an unknown period of time. Their family was, of course, heartbroken and worried to hear this news. However, Louise assured them that they would not be gone for long.

She then went back to Saito and opened a world door to Sasha's house. They held hands together and took deep breaths before stepping through the portal, their hearts filled with fear.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! Luckily, I managed to get this chapter out today. It wasn't easy, so it may seem rushed, but I still enjoyed writing it. One more thing. I have posted a poll on my profile page asking which anime I should write a fanfiction for. Feel free to vote there or send me a PM with your ideas. I'll be accepting ideas about plots and setting for any of the anime on the list. Thanks for participating! Please leave a review for this chapter. It really helps me out. See you next time guys!**


	53. Chapter 53: The Gods Reveal Themselves

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I hope you're all having a warm and safe February! I'll try to make it even better by releasing two chapters a week, so look forward to that! Also, there is a pole on my profile page that I really need you guys to answer. Please, please, please take the time to click a few of those buttons! It would really help me! Anyway, enjoy chapter 53!**

 **Chapter 53: Gods Reveal Themselves**

Saito and Louise stepped through the world door and arrived in Sasha's house, expecting to see a scene of destruction. However, when they looked around, everything seemed fine. They're kids were rolling around on the floor, playing together happily.

They looked up at their two parents and immediately crawled towards them, wanting to be picked up. Saito picked up his daughter and Louise picked up her son, happy to see that they were okay. They then walked outside, where they could see their friends looking at something.

"Sasha, why did you call us here?" Louise asked, slightly irritated that she had to leave her new family.

Sasha simply pointed at what they were staring at, the white feathered dragon which was laying next to the black furred Hayai. Saito looked at the dragon closely. It stared back at him, almost like it could read his thoughts.

Suddenly, he felt something poke his back. He looked behind him and saw the white dragon trying to unravel his tail from his waist. When he looked back at the spot where it was before, he could still see it laying on the ground, staring at him.

It appeared to be in two places at once, something which frightened him. He decided that it would be best not to move, and instead let it feel him out. After a few seconds, it disappeared from behind him, seemingly satisfied with whatever it had been searching him for.

"What is it?" Saito asked.

"It's the source of the magic that was within that mountain." Mariel replied. "It seems to have some kind of relationship with your dragon."

"It seems like it's not a good one." Saito said as he observed Hayai ignoring the other dragon.

"Perhaps we should show them to Colbert." Louise said.

"You think there's something similar in his books?" Saito asked.

"Yes. We also never got his answer about what that strange symbol was, so we might as well ask him." She replied.

"Oh yeah. I guess it's settled then. Let's go." Saito said.

Saito and Louise had their kids hang from their backs, then hopped onto Hayai's back. Louise opened a door to Tristania, where Colbert was stationed to oversee reconstruction. Both dragons walked through the door without hesitation.

Sasha and Mariel chose to stay behind and try to study their books for any clues. When Saito and Louise had arrived in Tristania, they saw that it was being rebuilt and a fast and steady pace. As they and the two dragons walked through the streets, Saito noticed that the white one was extremely agitated.

It was extremely hostile towards anyone that came close to it. Hayai seemed to be the only thing keeping it from attacking someone. Eventually, they reached the centre of the city, where the royal palace was still under construction.

After walking through a busy crowd of workers, they entered the palace, looking for Colbert or Henrietta. Several minutes of searching later, one of the workers directed them to a room where Colbert was looking over blueprints for the city.

When he looked up from his blueprints, he was shocked to see the two rulers standing before him, although this feeling quickly disappeared when he remembered who they were.

"Hello you two! It's been a long time!" He said, walking towards them.

"Hello, Professor! It's good to see you again!" Louise replied.

"Oh my, such beautiful children! Why didn't you tell me you were having children?!" He said, picking up their son and daughter.

"We're trying to keep it secret for a little while." Saito said.

"They are absolutely adorable!" Colbert said, rubbing his cheeks on their own.

"Thank you, Colbert." Louise said. "But the reason we came here was because we needed some questions answered."

"Ask away." Colbert replied, still happy to be playing with the babies.

"Do you remember the symbol we asked you to research a while ago?" Saito began. "What did it mean?"

Colbert's face immediately became serious. He handed back their children, then wiped his glasses with a handkerchief he had in his pocket. He then cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Remind me, where did you get that symbol." He asked.

"I found it carved into a stone during the war while I was in Gallia." Saito said, lying convincingly.

"That's awfully strange." Colbert said. "This symbol belongs to a dead language from a civilization which is said to have existed at the edge of the world. We do know that this civilization existed, but we don't know where."

"Were you able to figure out what it means?" Louise asked.

"Luckily, over the thousands of years, there have been well documented findings of strange objects that washed up on the beaches of Halkeginia." Colbert explained. "One of them was a hollow stone that washed up on the coast of Gallia. It had several symbols on it. Each symbol was accompanied by a carving of an animal or something else to deal with nature. We deduced that each symbol must correspond to the sound that each carving made. For example, a snake making an 'S' sound."

"I see. So you were able to translate it after all?" Saito said.

"Yes." Colbert replied. "It appears that the symbol translates to 'Sooran'."

"Sooran?" Louise said, confused at the strange sounding word.

"Yes." Colbert replied. "I then did further research to see if I could find the same symbol in anything else which us Halkeginians had identified as being from that lost civilization."

He went to his bookshelf and took from it an ancient looking jar. It was chipped in several places, but was otherwise in good condition, with all of its decorations and colors clearly intact. He looked at it for a few seconds, looking for something in particular. When he found it, he showed it to Saito and Louise.

On the jar was painted several pictures. The one that Colbert wanted them to see was a picture of a six tailed creature. It walked on all fours and looked just like the dragon which laid on the ground outside the room. Inscribed above the picture was the same symbol.

"I found paintings like this on several artifacts. It seems that this creature, Sooran they called it, was extremely important to their culture." Colbert said.

"I see. That's very interesting." Saito said with another thought in his mind.

"One more thing." Colbert said. "There is another creature which is eminent in the artifacts. A three-tailed creature. It looks so similar to this 'Sooran' that I thought they were the same being. However, upon further inspection, I noticed that there was always a distinction between the two, particularly in the number of tails."

"And what was this one called?" Louise asked.

"I translated it as 'Tompass'." Colbert replied.

"I see. Thanks for your help." Louise said. "We'll speak again soon."

Colbert bowed, then went back to looking at his blueprints. Saito and Louise walked outside where the two dragons lay. Louise then opened a world door back to Sasha's house. When they arrived, Shion, Alex, Sasha, and Mariel were nowhere to be found.

"Louise, did you hear what Colbert said?" Saito asked, looking pale.

"Yes." She replied, not quite understanding what he meant. "What of it?"

"Sooran and Tompass? Doesn't that sound familiar to you?" He asked. "Those are the names of the two entities that supposedly control time and space."

"Their names were Soren and Tempus. Perhaps it's a coincidence." She said. "Besides, the illustrations of what Soren looks like in our books doesn't look anything like these two."

"Descriptions change over time." Saito replied. "Besides, think about Hayai's power. He can travel anywhere he wants by bending the space between to places. That's something that could only happen if you have control over...well, everything."

"I don't think we should jump to conclusions." Louise replied, more from fear of what Saito was saying than from trying to be logical.

Saito turned to the black furred creature and looked directly into its eyes.

"You can understand me, right?" Saito asked it.

It nodded its head once.

"Are you the being called Sooran?" He asked.

Yet again, it nodded its head.

"Are Sooran and Soren the same being?" He asked.

Confirming his hypothesis, it nodded its head again. Saito sat on the ground, both afraid and shocked at the same time. He then looked at the white feathered creature which laid on the ground with its eyes closed.

"And is that the being called Tempus?" He asked.

Hayai, or rather, Soren nodded his head, although he seemed quite irritated to be forced to acknowledge the white creature. However, he walked over to the feathered being and poked its head. They traded a series of threatening sounds, as if arguing about something.

Soren gestured for Tempus to show Saito something, which it seemed hesitant to do. However, after more bickering, Tempus finally conceded. It walked towards Saito and touched one of its three tails onto his forehead.

Saito's eyes immediately changed color, mimicking Tempus's eyes, as he began to see several images flash before his eyes. Eventually, everything turned black. When he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to see that he had been seemingly transported to a massive, bustling city.

It looked liked the kind of city he would see in his history books about ancient Egypt. The area was desert like, but had several small rivers running through and around it, causing a lot of greenery to grow in the area. The houses were made of brown bricks and there was an intricate systems of roads between the buildings.

The people who walked around had reddish skin and several colors of hair, from black to red to blonde. As Saito walked through the city, he noticed that none of the inhabitants noticed him, so he assumed that it was just a vision.

In the distance, in the centre of the large city, was a large pyramid being built. It was being made of polished stones, giving it a silver, shiny appearance.

"Where am I?" He thought to himself.

"Kalpalōka, the largest city ever built." Said a calm female voice behind him. "Capital of the country which bears the same name. A country which, at this time, is the most advanced in the world."

He quickly turned around to find the source of the voice. There, he saw the feathered creature that touched his forehead moments ago.

"Y-You can talk?" Saito asked with fear.

"I didn't take me long to learn your language. At least...not from your perspective." She replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Saito asked her.

"I have control over the flow of time, accelerating it, reversing it, and stopping it as I please." She replied in a somewhat condescending voice. "To you, it may seem like I learned to speak instantly, but for me, it has taken about...one and a half years."

"One and a half years?!" Saito exclaimed. "But if you're the god...or umm...goddess of time, couldn't you make yourself learn faster than that?"

"I cannot change the speed in which I am able to understand information." She replied "However, I can change my perspective of time as well. That one and a half years only felt like moments to me."

"That's amazing." Saito replied. "But...why did you bring me to this place?"

"Soren and I had a dispute in the past. It's the reason why I sealed myself in that mountain." She said. "It's also the reason why he...was injured."

Saito remembered the injury he found on his dragon. It took him a while to piece it together, but he realized why it was so hard to heal the wound.

"You two fought?" Saito asked.

"Indeed. I brought you here to understand why we fought and why he no longer longs for my company." She replied. "There's something else as well. It seems I was wrong about humans all those years ago. You have accepted the creatures I put onto this Earth. As a reward, I will give you information that will save your life in due course."

"Save my life? Is there another threat I don't know about?" He asked.

"No, you certainly have been told about this threat, although you've never seen it before." She replied. "This particular being is bothering me at the moment as well, so I would like you to take care of him when the time comes."

"Him? Is it a human? An Elf?" Saito asked.

"It is a thing that was born to a human woman, but I will give you details later." She said.

"I guess that's okay." Saito said. "By the way, you made it sound like you like Soren's company. I thought you hated him."

"Did it seem that way? No, I do not hate him. I was trying to appeal for him to forgive me, but it seems to be a fruitless effort." She said. "Nevermind that. Watch, and I will show you what you need to see."

She let him sit on her back, then walked up higher into the sky, as if stepping on invisible steps. Once they reached a certain height, Saito had a clear view of the massive city.

"This is where our little story will begin, in the city of Kalpalōka" She said.

Saito took a deep breath, in awe of the massive city. However, he soon calmed down, realizing that he was there for serious reasons, not to be a tourist. After a few seconds of mental preparation, he looked down at the beast he sat on.

"I'm ready."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I'm actually on time for once! Also, yay! We're getting more lore! I hope you enjoy both this, and the next chapter. Please leave a review or send me a PM. Also, I highly encourage you to vote on the pole on my profile page. It will dictate which series I will write a fanfiction for next, so make sure you get your opinion heard! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!**


	54. Chapter 54: An Ominous Sign

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for my absence. I was really stressed out, so I chose to take some time away from writing. I'm back now though and will try to post a chapter every week. Also, there is a poll up on my profile page that I'd really appreciate if you took the time to answer. Please look into it! It will really help me. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 54: An Ominous Sign**

Louise and Sasha shook Saito for several seconds, trying to get him to wake up. After a few seconds, his eyes shot open. They had returned to their normal orange glow, but were clearly showed that he had seen something somewhat amazing.

"What's wrong, Saito?" Sasha asked. "You suddenly collapsed when this...creature, touched your head."

Saito patted himself down, as if he were surprised to be alive, sitting on the ground where he was. He looked around himself, then at the two dragons that were staring at him. He seemed afraid at first, then calmed down, taking several breaths.

"I-I'm fine." He replied, getting to his feet. He was a bit shaky, but balanced himself with his tail.

"You look like you saw a ghost." Mariel said.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Saito said, although he couldn't help but look at the beasts that were laying on the ground so casually.

"Why do you stare at me?" Tempus asked.

They all stared at her, shocked that it could speak. They jumped back, very obviously afraid.

"Did you take me for a fool who could not speak?" She asked.

"H-How?" Louise asked.

"Ask the male you chose to marry." She said, looking at Saito.

"She learned how to speak our language in what seems to us like a short time." Saito said, looking like he had something else on his mind. "She has the ability to control the flow of time, so for her, it was actually many years."

"What do you want from us?" Louise asked.

"Nothing. You're the ones who woke me." The dragon replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to rest in peace and quiet."

She got up on her legs and walked into Sasha's house. She found a spot on the ground which she found comfortable, then laid down, letting her tails rest in front of her face. Before she closed her eyes, she looked at Saito, who also looked directly at her.

"Remember what I told you, boy." She said, before closing her eyes.

"I understand." Saito said.

The white dragon soon fell asleep, leaving everyone staring at the back of Saito's head. When he turned around to look at them, his face made it seem like the previous short, but rather important conversation had never happened. He simply smiled, then picked up his kids and began to play with them.

"Saito, what happened?" Louise asked.

"It's not anything to worry about." He replied. "Still, I am feeling quite tired, so I think I'd like to sleep for a little while."

Before she had a chance to reply, he handed her their kids and laid down on one of Sasha's sofas. Almost immediately, he fell into a very deep sleep.

"He's hiding something." Mariel said.

"I'll make sure to interrogate him once he awakens." Sasha replied. "More importantly, elder sister, do you think it has something to do with what we saw in the ancient dragon?"

"I think it could be related." Mariel replied.

"Pardon me, but what are you two talking about?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to know too." Louise said.

Shion also nodded her head in agreement. Sasha had forgotten that she had never told them that she had gone to the human world to inspect the dragon.

"I suppose it concerns you now." Sasha said. "After you defeated the ancient dragon, Mariel and myself journeyed to the location of its corpse because we felt a strange magic eminating from it. Upon entering the dragon's body, we heard a voice calling to us. It seemed to be familiar with who we were, but it disappeared quickly, along with the magical presence."

"How come I was unable to sense it?" Louise asked.

"It's not a magic that normal beings can sense." Mariel replied. "Sasha and I have been experimented on countless times with various sorts of materials, that magic being one of them."

"What kind of magic is it?" Shion asked.

"It's a sort of distorted mix of all the magic that humans are capable of using." Sasha replied. "It was a failed attempt to replicate the magic used by what that man described as 'the gods'."

"But how could that magic still be around if Brimir is dead?" Alex asked.

"I can't answer that question either." Sasha replied.

With no way to answer any of their questions, they soon grew silent. After a few moments, Louise decided to break the silence by asking Alex and Shion about what they had done while she and Saito were in Japan.

Alex and Shion looked at each other for a few moments, then Shion began to explain what they had discovered during Louise and Saito's absence.

 **The day Saito Returned to his Palace**

Louise's world door closed, leaving Alex, Shion, Mariel, and Sasha alone in in Sasha's cabin. They were silent for a few moments, then Shion turned towards Mariel and Sasha.

"How will we find out who I am?" She asked.

"Let's start with a trip to a hospital." Mariel said.

"But I'm not hurt." Shion said.

"No, we need to take you to a hospital to examine your body." Sasha said. "Each of the races that live here have different traits. Perhaps we can find out something there."

"Oh, I suppose that's okay then." Shion said. "Would you like to come, Alexandre?"

"Of course." He replied. "This is important for you, so I'm happy to come with you."

"If that's settled, let's hurry." Sasha said, walking through her door.

The other three followed her towards one of the cities which floated on the liquid lake, although it was now beginning to freeze over again. On the way, Alex kept staring at his mother, his mind filled with questions.

"Ummm...mother?" He said sheepishly.

"Yes, Alex?" Mariel replied, smiling at him.

"What was my father like?" He asked.

"Your father?" Mariel said, slowing down her walking pace. "Your father was a very handsome man. He was strong, tall, had hair blacker than mine..."

She paused for several moments, lost in her memories of her lost husband. Alex stared at her, becoming increasingly worried that the emotion may prove too much for her. After a few moments, she seemed to snap out of it.

"He was also extremely good at using magic. Some of the powers he possessed were strange even to me." She said. "He was much stronger than what you would call a square class mage even before I met him. After I taught him the magic I knew, he was unbelievably powerful. No one could touch him..."

"Wait...then how was he killed?" He asked.

Mariel took several deep breaths before answering her son.

"He...let himself be killed. To protect us." She replied, with tears starting to form in her eyes.

"When did this happen..?" Alex said.

"Only a few days after you were born. 413 years ago." She replied. "He loved you, Alex."

Alex began to feel both happiness and sadness growing in his heart. He had never known the feeling of having parents who loved him more than anything, so he couldn't handle the fact that he was told that someone he never knew and who never knew him could love him

"What happened to the people who killed him?" He asked, with his voice becoming shaky.

"Nothing. When they were sent to trial, everyone declared them innocent." She replied. "At the very least, though, they let me bury him."

"I want to see him..." Alex said.

"I suppose I can take you to him once we deal with your wife." Mariel replied.

"Thank you." He replied, doing his best to regain his composure.

After several minutes, they arrived in the city. They navigated the endless maze of streets and alleyways until they reached a large, white building. It had beautiful stained glass windows and seemed to be made entirely of marble.

Inside, several people of various species were hard at work moving sick patients through the building.

Sasha quickly led them to the basement of the building, where medical records and a variety of experiments were conducted.

After walking through several busy hallways, Sasha opened the door to a room. Inside was a large glass box as well as a plethora of medical equipment, from a metal table for someone to lay on, to a drawer full of forceps and scalpels.

Inside was also a rather short, but beautiful woman with blonde hair and green eyes. Her healthy, bright skin was tan and very radiant. She wore a pair of large glasses and had freckles on her cheeks, making her look quite nerdy. She wore a white lab coat and a long white skirt. Poking from her back were a pair of translucent, insect like wings, making her identifiable as a fairy.

When she noticed Sasha, she jumped on her, giving her quite a passionate hug. She behaved very childishly, rubbing her cheek on Sasha's and laughing happily as she hugged her. After a few minutes of this behavior, which seemed to slightly bother Sasha, she jumped back and introduced herself.

"Hello, Sasha! It's been too long!" She said happily. "And who are your guests?!"

"Indeed, it has been a long time, Aigle." Sasha replied with her normal blank face and reserved, monotone voice. "You are familiar with my elder sister, Mariel."

"Ah, yes! Hello, Mariel! We never got to talk much, did we?" Aigle replied.

"No we haven't. Perhaps we should schedule some time to have fun together." Mariel replied with a warm smile.

"That sounds lovely! And who may these two beautiful people be?" She asked, referring to Alex and Shion.

Before answering, Mariel closed the door behind them to make sure no one could hear their conversation.

"This young man is my son, Alexandre." She said. "This young woman is his wife."

Aigle suddenly became extremely serious and quite pale. It took her a few moments before she managed to give Mariel a reply, at which point she whispered very quietly.

"I thought your child...was killed." She said.

"Never mind that for now." Mariel said, quickly. "That's not what we're here for. We're here for his wife."

"Oh, okay." Aigle replied, returning to her bubbly self. "And how may I help you?"

"She seemed to have amnesia and forgot about her past. However, she regained some memories and says sh originates from this place." Sasha replied. "I want you to examine her and see if you can find out anything. What species is she from, for example?"

"That sounds easy enough." Aigle replied, looking through her cabinets for something.

When she finally found what she was looking for, a glass bottle filled with a glowing blue liquid, she looked at Shion from head to toe.

"Let's get started then. This won't take to long." She said. "Please remove all of your clothes first. It's only us girls and your husband here, so don't worry."

Rather embarrassed, Shion complied and stood where she was instructed, on a circular, slightly curved stone slab on the ground. Her skin was pale, as always, but very smooth and healthy. Aigle put on some gloves, then rubbed the blue liquid onto her body, wearing a bright smile on her face as she did so.

"Umm...Ms. Aigle, what exactly does this liquid do?" Shion asked.

"Oh, it reveals the locations and exact types of wounds that your body has ever received." Aigle replied. "Depending on the age of the wound, it will also change color."

"How will that help determine what I am?" Shion asked.

"It won't." Aigle replied. "It's good practice for a doctor to treat any wounds that his or her patient has."

"Oh. Thank you." Shion replied.

"Why'd you have to bring us to this doctor?" Alex whispered to Sasha.

"She's the best in the world." Sasha replied.

"She acts like a 10 year old." Alex said skeptically.

"She's hundreds of years older than me." She replied.

"What?!" Alex exclaimed. "But how is that possible?!"

"Like I said, she is the best doctor in the world." Sasha replied. "She's been healing herself for all of these centuries. All this time, she's been making herself seem younger and younger. She seems to be immortal, frankly."

"Is that how you look so young?" Alex asked.

"No. I simply do not age the same way other elves do." Sasha replied.

Alex became fascinated with the subject with the thought of living forever like Aigle could. It crept into his mind and remained there. As the thought of his deceased father came over him, he became resolute in finding a way to keep himself and his loved ones alive.

After a few minutes, just like Aigle had predicted, different pieces of skin on her body began to glow. Hundreds of scars could be seen on her body, which shocked everyone in the room.

"This is remarkable!" Aigle said. "You have nearly as many as Sasha has!"

"How did this happen to you?" Mariel asked.

"I used to have a line of work which put me in danger quite often." Shion replied, trying to hide the fact that she used to be an assassin.

Aigle gazed at her body, then stopped when she was looking at her upper back. She stared at it for a while, then looked around her body some more. When she was done, she simply started looking for something else.

"You have 4 very large scars on your back." Aigle said, taking another bottle from her cabinet. "How did you get them?"

"I don't remember having any such wounds on my back." Shion replied.

"How peculiar. Drink this." Aigle said, handing Shion a glass of what looked like water mixed with milk. "When you drink it, stand in that glass box."

Aigle turned off all the lights, then waited for a few seconds. Soon afterwards, Shion's skeletal system began to glow clearly through her body in the darkness of the room. To Alex, she seemed normal, but apparently, Aigle had noticed something strange about her.

"Your bones are quite heavy, aren't they?" Aigle said, looking very closely at them with a strange crystal held over one eye. "They're extremely hollow as well. Quite strange, indeed."

As she kept searching, she found the spot on Shion's back where the 4 scars were. She seemed excited when she saw.

"It seems she is descended from the _Anioły._ " She said, showing them a set of 4 joints attached to he spine. "However, it seems that her wings were removed at some point. Young lady, do you remember why they were removed."

"I thought I was human. I had no knowledge of being different in any way." Shion replied.

"Hmm. Then they must have been removed when you were still a small child." Aigle said. "Listen, how about I take a small sample of your blood and see if I can match it with anything we have stored away?"

"That's fine with me. How long will it take?" Shion asked.

"A few days." Aigle replied.

"Very well." Shion said. "Take as much as you need."

Aigle pulled a syringe from one of her drawers and drew some of Shion's blood. She examined it for a few seconds, then put it away in a refrigerated box.

"I'll get back to you as soon as possible." She said to the group.

"Thank you." Sasha said. "We'll leave you to your work."

With that, they walked out of the room and out of the hospital. Alex was still thinking about how Aigle seemed to be capable of cheating death, while Shion was curious as to what her blood might tell Aigle.

"We should go home now." Sasha said. "It's getting dark."

"Actually, before we do, Alex wanted to see his father." Mariel said.

"Oh, of course." Sasha said with a bit of surprise.

Mariel led them back into the forest. For several hours, they walked in the cold dark woods until eventually, they saw a small white building. It looked like some kind of shrine, so Alex was sure that it was where his father rested.

When they reached the front of the building, there was no door. There was a flat, white wall with no features on it. Mariel put her palm on the wall and soon, a panel in the door appeared and slowly descended into the ground, revealing a room with a rectangular marble box in the centre.

They slowly walked towards it with a sense of anxiousness. As they stood over it, looking at it closely, Alex took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down a little. Mariel put her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Are your ready?" She asked him.

"Yeah. I'm ready." He replied, holding her hand.

With Sasha and Shion standing behind them, Mariel put her other hand on the sarcophagus. After a few seconds, a line appeared down the centre of the coffin. The two halves began to split apart until the marble container was open.

When they saw the inside, Mariel and Alex's eyes widened with shock and fear. Shion and Sasha were confused by their reaction.

"What's wrong, elder sister?" Sasha asked.

"He's...gone." Mariel said, staring down into the now empty coffin.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I hope this chapter makes up for the rather unannounced hiatus I went on. Like I said before, I felt too stressed to continue writing, so I chose to take some time off. I will be back every week now, so I hope that let's you forgive my absence. Also, please take the time to answer the pole that is on my profile page. It's really important for me to know what you guys would like to see. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review and/or send me a private message with your thoughts! Thanks for reading and see you next time!**


	55. Chapter 55: Lífþrasir

**Chapter 55: _L_ _ífþ_ _rasir_**

"Where...is he?" Sasha said.

She looked down at the empty marble sarcophagus with shock. The body of her beloved brother in law had seemingly vanished into thin air. There wasn't a trace of there ever being a corpse in the now empty coffin.

"How is this possible?" Alex asked.

"Grave robbers?" Shion asked silently.

"No. This area is protected by my own magic." Mariel said. "No one should be able to see this tomb, and even if they did, I laid down several spells and traps in order to keep anyone away. None of those traps have gone off though."

"Then the only way is...necromancy." Sasha ominously replied.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"The magical art of manipulating the dead." Mariel said. "But sister, it cannot be necromancy. The only mortals capable of using such magic are the void mage. And even then, it's so dangerous that most who have tried it have died themselves."

"We know who and where the void mages are, so it must be someone, or something, else." Sasha replied. "We must inform the council of this immediately."

"Surely there may be another reason behind this." Mariel said.

"Perhaps there is, elder sister." Sasha replied. "You may try to think of it on our way to the council."

Mariel, trying hard to think of any other possibilities, reluctantly nodded in agreement. As they made their way to the council's building, Alex became curious as to how his mother and aunt knew so much about the magic of the dead. However, they seemed to know what he wanted to ask, constantly interrupting him before he could ask that particular question.

They avoided it all the way to the council's office, which made Alex rather irritated, but he chose to put it off until later. As soon as the doors of the room opened, Mariel and Sasha stepped through them. The council members were surprised and worried at the same time.

The only times Mariel had ever been there either alone or with Sasha was to bring bad news, and this time was no different. Inside the massive room, Orlan, Helen, and Eres were discussing the war in the human world.

"If what the scouts have reported is true, we may have to-" Orlan said. He stopped speaking as he saw the group enter the room.

"Ah, Sasha...and Mariel." Helen said. "How nice it is to see you. And who may these young ones be."

"I am Alexandre." Alex said. "Mariel is my mother."

All the council members seemed surprised, but decided not to bring up his past out of respect.

"This is Shion." He continued. "She's my wife."

"What a beautiful young woman!" Eres said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"As fun as this is, I'm afraid we have troubling news." Sasha said. "Mariel's husband is missing from his grave. We suspect a necromancer."

"But the void mage are all on friendly terms and the only one to have been in this land long enough is Louise." Orlan said.

"I do not believe it is a void mage responsible." Sasha replied. "We'll have to investigate further, but be cautious."

"Thank you for informing us, Sasha. We will all have to discuss this very soon." Helen said.

"If that is all, we will be leaving." Mariel said. "Farewell."

After they walked out of the building, Mariel suddenly held Sasha's shoulder.

"What is it, elder sister?" Sasha asked.

"Be careful of them." Mariel said. "They are plotting something in the human world."

"Very well." Sasha said.

They all walked home quietly. When they finally reached Sasha's cabin. It was several hours after they returned that they noticed Hayai acting strangely about the mountain, which led to them calling back Saito and Louise.

 **In the present**

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd rather we not talk about my father right now." Alex said after everything was explained.

"I understand." Louise said.

She looked back at Tempus with curiosity. The dragon, which was strangely allowing Louise's kids to play on it while it rested, opened its eye as if it knew Louise had questions for it.

"What question do you have, child?" She asked.

"Well...I want to know what you told Saito that made him so distressed." Louise said.

"He is your mate. Ask him yourself." The dragon replied.

"He is stubborn and will not tell me." Louise said.

"Wait for his fear to pass." The dragon replied, stretching its body. "I've seen that it will go away eventually."

"What is he afraid of?" Alex asked. "He's probably the most powerful person in the world."

"He is afraid of the beasts that live within him." She replied, lifting the children with its tails. "What I showed the boy has allowed him to understand their capabilities..."

"You make it sound like there's more than one." Louise said. "Only Gandalfr lives within him."

"Is that what he told you? While you were in his world, he came into contact with another." The dragon said, staring at him. "In fact, he is probably attempting to contact it again..."

 **In Saito's head**

Saito woke up on the same beach from before, with its white sands stretching in both directions towards the horizon. The cold ocean beckoned for him to swim into it. The familiar sound of massive chains underwater filled his ears.

He jumped into the sea and swam downwards until, yet again, he reached the seemingly impenetrable barrier of cold water that stopped him before. This time, however, he kept on swimming, despite the considerable pain the cold water caused him.

As he swam deeper, the pale blue light from before became larger and larger. For what seemed like an eternity, he kept swimming. As he came close to losing consciousness, he hit a very cold and hard object.

At this depth, there was no light, so he couldn't quite see what he hit. Suddenly, he felt a rush of water as he was rapidly pushed up to the surface. He landed on the white sands of the beach. In front of him, a massive creature rose out of the ocean.

It seemed to be a serpent of some kind. Its head resembled that of a pit viper. It was a bright, almost fluorescent blue in coloration. It had a forked tongue which was a very deep purple color. Its eyes, which were angled forwards on its face, had bright red sclera with massive light blue irises which glowed brightly.

It was vastly larger than Gandalfr, its head alone being about 80% the size of his body. Saito could also see that its long, serpent-like body stretched beyond the horizon. It brought its massive head down to stare at him.

Gandalfr's advice echoed in his head. He made sure his hands were visible and his magic had no sense of malice. He also made sure his fangs and tail were visible to the serpent. After a few moments of observing him, it finally decided to speak.

"Filthy human, what do you want?" It said in a very feminine voice.

It was very lovely for Saito to hear, but he remembered that this creature was extremely dangerous.

"I-I'm the current Gandalfr. I was also _Lífþrasir_ more than once, which I believe is why I can see you." Saito said.

"I see. You are certainly a strange looking human." She replied.

"I was given the powers of Gandalfr twice. The second time, I absorbed another Gandalfr and it changed me. I'm no longer human." He explained. "I know you were mistreated. I know you don't like humans. Trust me, it took a long time for me to get through to Gandalfr, but-"

"You've spoken to him?" She asked.

"Yes." Saito replied.

"I'm surprised he didn't kill you." She said.

"He wanted to, actually. But we're friends now." Saito replied.

"So what do you want from me?" She asked.

"I don't want anything from you, exactly." Saito said. "I spoke to Tempus about what happened though."

"Oh? Do you want revenge for what we did to that country?" She asked. "Mother created us for the purpose of destroying the humans. Do you hold a grudge?"

"No. It was your purpose. I just want to know if you regretted it after it was done." He asked.

"Regret? Perhaps. But my regret went away after I was sealed away in this place." She replied.

"Where are we anyway?" Saito asked.

"As of right now, we are on the shores of the ancient land that I helped destroy." She said. "Although it is not technically where I am sealed."

"Where are you sealed?" He asked.

"In a different world than where I was created." She replied. "Once the men of this world saw me, they were convinced the end of the world had come. With their feeble understanding of the world, they were convinced that I was long, that I could encompass the planet. They're constant meddling bothered me, so I lay at the bottom of the ocean, hoping that I would eventually become a simple myth."

"That story sounds familiar. How come you're so large?" Saito asked.

"I am very old and had a long time to grow." She said.

"I see. I have one more question." Saito said. "The chains underneath the water, what are they for?"

"They bind me to this place in the world." She replied with a bit of hate in her voice. "I will never swim freely as long as they are here."

"That's terrible." He said, sadly. "You know, you're a lot less hostile than Gandalfr made you out to be."

"I've been alone for more than one thousand years. Any company is welcome at this point." She replied.

"I see. Thank you for talking to me. My name is Saito." He said.

"And my name is _Lífþrasir. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, filthy human." She replied, although she seemed to call him a filthy human more jovially this time._

Saito smiled and soon, woke up. Everyone in the room immediately stared at him, making him feel very self conscious.

"What's wrong?" He said.

"Nothing is wrong." Louise said, although she wasn't convincing. "We should return to Japan."

"You're probably right." Saito replied.

He got up and stretched his limbs while Louise opened the world door to Japan. As they walked through the world door, they waved goodbye to their friends. As the door closed, Saito looked at Tempus, who also stared back at him before the door finally shut.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! Okay okay, proceed to yell at me for being gone for 4(?) months. I just could not fit in time to write. I'm really sorry, but I'm back. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I promise, it won't take me months to post the next chapter. See you next time!**


	56. Chapter 56: 'Blood'

**Chapter 56: 'Blood'**

Saito's sister sat in her living room braiding her hair. She was thinking about everything that happened in recent weeks.

"I wonder how they're doing." She said to herself.

As if on cue, Saito and Louise appeared through an ovular portal in front of her. Aisaka just barely managed to see Sasha and Mariel through the portal, but couldn't tell that they were elves.

"Oh, hi Aisaka." Saito said. "How have you been?"

"Ummm...okay? I just have so many questions." She replied.

"Everything seems to have calmed down, so I guess I can answer a few of them." He said.

"Before that," Louise began. "I have a few questions of my own."

"Like what?" Saito asked.

"Tempus. What did she show you?" Louise asked.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" He sighed. "If you must know, she explained a lot about her relationship with Soren and how Gandalfr and his siblings were created."

"Ummm...what are you guys talking about?" She asked.

"Before I continue explaining..." Saito said. "Louise, I met with Lífþrasir."

"Oh? And what was he like?" She asked.

"She. It's a she." Saito said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Aisaka asked.

"Aisaka, where are Mother and Father?" Saito asked. "I'll tell you something."

"I'll go and fetch them." She said, leaving the room.

"What are you going to tell them?" Louise asked.

"I'm going to tell them that Gandalfr lives inside me. Or, at the very least, I can contact him within myself." He replied.

Saito sat on a chair and closed his eyes, instantly waking up in front of Gandalfr. The beast was resting, so it didn't immediately take notice of his presence. After a short while, he finally opened his eyes, staring at him.

"I met with Lífþrasir." Saito said.

"How did that go?" Gandalfr replied.

"She was friendlier than I anticipated." Saito replied. "It seems like she's so bored, she's willing to accept my company."

"How strange." The beast replied.

"Also, I'm going to tell my family about you." Saito continued.

"They won't believe it unless they see it." The beast replied. "Even then, will they be able to handle the shock of seeing me?"

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Saito said before waking himself up.

His whole family sat before him, wondering what it was that he had to tell them.

"Right. So remember how I told you that I am Louise's familiar?" He said. "Well, it's because of a particular being that is sealed to me that I have these powers."

"What kind of a being?" His mother asked.

"I suppose I can show you." Saito said. "He's really intimidating, but he's pretty friendly…if he likes you. Just look into my eyes, and you'll meet him."

Rather reluctantly, they all looked into his eyes. Louise, of course, had already had this experience, so she knew what to expect. After a few seconds, they all appeared in the dimly lit room.

"Where are we?" His father asked.

"I suppose you could say you're inside my mind...or my soul." Saito said. "Anyway, he's standing behind you."

When they turned around, they all nearly fell over from fear. They saw the massive creature laying on his belly behind them, watching them with his piercing orange eyes. He was tired, so he yawned, revealing his several rows of massive, sharp, serrated teeth.

"Good evening, Hiraga family." He said in a deep, booming voice.

They were completely speechless for several minutes until finally, Aisaka, who as a younger person watched many programs in which this kind of thing happened and was therefore more used to it, managed to speak for them.

"H-Hello." She stammered. "W-W-Who are you?"

"I'm Gandalfr." He said. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Aisaka, Mr. and Mrs. Hiraga."

His extremely polite mannerisms seemed to calm Aisaka down a little. She slowly inched closer to him, much to her parents' dismay.

"Cool..." She said subconsciously.

"Your sister has nerves, boy." Gandalfr said. "Perhaps she would have made a better Gandalfr than you." 

"Do you have to put me down all the time?" Saito sighed. "Either way, I wanted you guys to see him because it would make everything else a little easier to explain."

"So you're the one who gave my little brother the power to fight?" Aisaka asked.

"For some time yes, although the power he uses now is his own." The beast said. "Well...me and my sister, although I'll let him explain that much. Please, if you would not mind, I would like to rest for a little while."

"Come on guys, let's go." Saito said.

Without their compliance, he made them all wake up. His parents were still in a state of shock, while his older sister simply seemed intrigued.

"Now that that's out of the way, let me begin explaining." Saito said. "I met his sister, Lífþrasir, a short while ago."

"What's she like?" Aisaka asked.

"Well, I guess I can tell you what she told me." Saito said. "Firstly though, she's a very long snake-like creature. She looks nothing like Gandalfr. She's way bigger."

"Wow, that sounds awesome." Aisaka said.

"She told me that after her mother had created her and her siblings, she roamed around the world for some time, getting bigger and bigger for centuries." He continued. "But one day, the same man who captured Gandalfr eventually managed to seal her away in another world."

"What's that world like?" Louise asked.

"Well, she made it seem like it was rather the same, more or less." Saito said. "She said the people there thought she encompassed the world with her length and created all sorts of myths about her. Like the end of the world would come because of her. So she remained in the sea, hoping for the myths to go away."

"Sounds a lot like that Norse stuff." His father said, coming out of his shock for a while.

"Huh...yeah, it kind of does. Still, if she was in this world, we'd know by now." He said.

"You said she has a mother. Who is it?" Aisaka asked.

"The world Louise is from has two gods that control space and time." Saito said. "The god of time is her and her siblings' parent, although Gandalfr apparently has no memory of that."

"Why were they created?" Louise asked.

"I guess I'll explain what Tempus showed me now..." He began. "A long time ago in Louise's world, there used to be a very advanced civilization. They worshiped her and the god of space, Soren, as their only gods. However, after some time, some of those men who could manipulate magic had developed a cult of sorts. They believed the gods to be corrupt and evil, although this was just a ruse by the leader of the cult to amass a military of his own."

"So the gods got angry?" His mother asked.

"Not exactly." Saito said. "The gods had created a pact between themselves to not interfere in the affairs of humans. They had a policy of letting man advance without their intervention. However, Tempus, who despite her control of time could very easily become bored, had become intrigued by this cult. She occasionally allowed herself to be seen by members of the cult so that she could make events become more interesting. Eventually, she began to respond to the prayers that some cult members made. Granting them wishes or appearing to give them advice. However, the leader of this cult was not happy with so many members changing their beliefs and praising this god. So, he also decided to pray to Tempus. When she inevitably appeared to him, he asked her to grant him power to become a king. Finding him particularly interesting, she granted his wish."

"But what could one human possibly do to a god?" Aisaka asked, extremely interested in the story.

"A lot, it turns out." Saito continued. "With the magic he was granted, he became devastating. Because of his affinity for using this magic, he did not believe he was lesser than any being, even gods. However, he was well aware that he didn't have enough magic to do anything yet. To gain more, he began a practice of mass sacrifices of humans and animals. He would collect the magic that left their bodies when they died and add it to his own store. He would collect their bodies and create potions out of them, further changing his body. Because she was so caught up in what was happening in the present, mainly the new level of worship she was enjoying, she didn't notice that growing number of people who began to disappear. Soren, on the other hand, did notice that vast amount of deaths that were happening. He would normally not get involved, but something felt strange to him, so he decided to investigate."

"Quietly, he observed the humans and finally found the culprit. This man was murdering people, taking their magic, and performing experiments on their bodies. From manipulating the dead, to creating Chimeras, to transferring his soul from one body to another. Soren was disgusted, but because of his agreement with Tempus, he did nothing. He assumed, of course, that his counterpart would do the same. The man's killing spree went on and on, and eventually, he even managed to kill the King of that country, whose vast supplies of magic made him even stronger. He manipulated the dead King's body, ruling the country from the shadows. His control of the country allowed him to send more people to their deaths, adding to his power. After more than 5 generations of kings under his control, he believed he finally attained enough power to overthrow the gods."

"Of course, by this time, Soren knew that the man was using a very strange magic in order to accomplish these things. Magic which no other human had ever used. Magic only a god could grant a human. So, rather reluctantly, he confronted Tempus, who claimed innocence. She claimed his power was natural and should therefore not be interfered with. Soren did not buy this answer, so he chose to appear to the man himself. The man told Soren that a god had given him his power and that he was promised that no harm would come to him. Instead of confronting the man, Soren disappeared to confront his counterpart instead. The ensuing argument led to them having a fight."

"During their fight, they fell down to earth. Humans witnessed them battle for several weeks. The landscape was destroyed because of the nature of their powers. Some people ceased to exist because of Tempus's control over time, while others were horribly disfigured due to Soren manipulation of space. Towards they end of their battle, both of them were severely wounded. Soren was covered in wounds that would not heal, while Tempus could no longer reverse the ones she sustained from him due to being weakened. At this time, the man who was granted void magic incapacitated them with a powerful explosion, rendering them immobile."

"They were captured and restrained, with that man hoping to use their powers for himself. For hundreds of years, they would have their strength used for his pleasure. They witnessed death and worse. Now Tempus's eyes opened to the repercussions of what she did. She was saddened by it and now there was little she could do about it. With what little power she had left, she stole some of Soren's power, mixed it with her own, and sent it into the world in four pieces. She had imbued within it the will to come and rescue them."

"These pieces of magic landed in several places. One on a volcanic island, one in the ocean, one in a desert, and the other on a tall mountain. For several hundred years, they slowly grew, taking on the characteristics of their environments. After several more hundred years, they slowly gained consciousness, although they had no knowledge of the others existence. After more than 1000 years, they became tormented by the desire to destroy a certain country, although they didn't know why."

"First, the one that landed in the water brought tsunamis and hurricanes to the country's coasts and fouled its waters. The one that landed on the mountain would later create tornadoes and turned the air into a toxic gas. The one that landed in the desert destroyed their crops and brought dust storms to the country. The one that landed on the volcanic island created earthquakes, splitting the earth apart and causing volcanoes to erupt. The man who had sealed the gods had become, at this point, quite insane from his life span. He no longer honed his skills and simply indulged in simple things, so he was not prepared when the four creatures made their way towards the capital, where they felt that something close to them was being held."

"The earthquakes and harsh winds revealed what they were searching for deep underground. The still injured gods lay unconscious, bound in shackled infused with that man's magic long ago. They quickly broke the shackles, releasing the two from their prison. Soren remained unconscious, but Tempus had remained conscious for the duration of her imprisonment. She told them that she would be departing the land, but they should destroy it and any humans that inhabited it so that the secrets of the man's magic would never go elsewhere. She took Soren with her to another land, which ended up being Halkeginia. The four creatures she created destroyed the continent that the man's empire resided on, destroying it with the elements before sinking it under the sea."

"That's quite the story." Aisaka said.

"So that's why Soren and Tempus have a poor relationship..." Louise said.

"Yeah. She begged for his forgiveness for many years, but he never did." Saito said. "She became so filled with sadness that she sealed herself within that mountain ever since then."

"What happened to that man?" Saito's father asked. "What was his name too?"

"For thousands of years, Tempus assumed him dead, but she told me that he may be alive somehow." Saito explained. "His name was Eztli. It means 'blood' apparently."

"How ominous." His mother said.

"Wait...Saito." Louise began.

"What is it?" Saito asked.

"You said he had some control over the dead?" She asked.

"Yeah. That's what I was told." He replied.

"We have to go back. Immediately." Louise said. "Sasha and Mariel have to hear this."

"You have to leave so soon?" Aisaka asked, looking disappointed.

"You know, maybe you should just come with us." Louise said.

"Louise, are you sure?" Saito asked.

"They can stay at our palace or with Sasha. It's fine." She replied.

A little unconvinced, he conceded. Louise immediately opened the world door to Sasha's house. One by one, they jumped through the portal until they were all inside the small wooden cabin.

"You guys are back alr-" Alex stopped short of finishing his sentence when he saw Saito's family.

"Please forgive us for bringing them here, Sasha." Louise said.

"It's fine. I'd be happy to have them here. But why did you come back so quickly?" She asked.

Louise took a very deep breath. It was the kind of thing she had to be extremely sure about before she could tell them, so she mentally prepared herself before speaking her sentence.

"I know what happened to Alex's Father."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I managed to get another chapter out within 24 hours of the last one, so I'm pretty proud. Tell me what you think of it in a review or PM. It's nice to get some backstory in. It really lets me be creative with the story. Anyway, thanks for reading. See you next time!**


	57. Chapter 57: Troubling Times

**Chapter 57: Troubling Times**

"What do you mean you know what happened to my father?" Alex asked.

"It has to do with what Tempus showed Saito." Louise replied.

"So the boy told you." Tempus said.

"Ummm...may we ask what's going on?" Mr. Hiraga asked.

"Oh, right." Louise said.

She cast a spell on Saito's family, allowing them to understand everyone in the room.

"Ah, hello." Tempus said, lowering her head towards him. "I am Tempus. Pleased to make your acquaintance. You have a fine son."

"Ummm...thanks?" He replied. "Are you the god he spoke about?" 

"I've come to despise that description, but I suppose so." She replied.

"You're really pretty." Aisaka said.

"As are you, young one." The dragon replied, sitting back down.

As they spoke, Saito's mother noticed the two strange looking babies playing on a Tempus' back. She thought they were really cute, albeit a little bit strange looking.

"Those are very cute children." She said. "Whose are they?"

Before anyone could answer, Saito cleared his throat.

"Before any of that," He began. "Louise, tell them about what Tempus said."

"Oh, right." She said. "We believe your father is being manipulated by a very ancient person."

"Who?" Alex asked.

"His name was Eztli." She said. "Someone who had great control over their magic. They were capable of controlling the dead. They even managed to capture Soren and Tempus while they were weakened. She thinks he may still be alive."

"Is there any way of finding him?" Alex asked.

"Not that we know of." She replied. "Just watch for anything strange."

"Elder sister, we will have to investigate this." Sasha said.

"Yes." She replied.

She noticed Saito's bewildered family were still in the room.

"But it can wait." She continued. "Hello there! My name is Mariel."

"H-Hello. You're...an elf?" Aisaka asked, noticing Mariel and Sasha's ears.

"Indeed, I am." Mariel replied. "Afraid?"

"Not really." Aisaka said. "Just surprised."

"Crowded..." Sasha said under her breath, clearly bothered by the number of people around her.

"Cheer up, little sister." Mariel said. "Let's all eat together. We'll have fun."

As they were talking, Saito sat next to Soren and rubbed his fur. He thought about what he should say to him.

"You...should forgive her." He finally said.

The dragon stared at him, then back at the ground, clearly showing that it didn't want to forgive the white dragon that lay a few feet away.

"She's really hurt by the whole thing. Give her a chance." He continued. "Listen, I'd be mad too if my girlfriend did that to me, but you can only hold a grudge for so long."

The dragon seemed agitated at the suggestion that he and Tempus had such a relationship, which made Saito laugh a little. He sat silently for a little while longer before giving the dragon one last piece of what he thought.

"If she wanted to hurt you, she could have found better ways of doing it." He said as he got up. "She made a mistake, that's all."

Meanwhile, Mrs. Hiraga took a particular liking to Saito's children. Even though they had tails and vividly colored eyes, she hadn't pieced together whose they were. After a short while, however, she began to look at Saito, then back at the kids.

"Finally put it together, have you?" Sasha said, seemingly appearing behind her from nowhere.

"There's no way..." She said.

"Please try not to faint onto my floor." Sasha said.

"I-I'll be fine." She said, slowly sitting down on a chair.

"What's wrong honey?" Mr. Hiraga asked.

"You're a grandfather, Yuguro." She said, looking at the children that played at her feet.

"You mean...those…" He said blankly.

Suddenly, he picked the two babies, wearing a large smile on his face.

"Looks like they know now." Louise said to Saito.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm glad I didn't have to tell them."

As they watched the scene in front of them, they noticed Soren move closer to Tempus ever so slowly. He kept moving until he was right next to her, then exchanged a series of very low pitched 'words' with her. By the end, he seemed rather defeated, but allowed her to rest next to him.

"Looks like he got over it too." Saito said as the white monster rubbed the black one's fur.

"It's too bad we have on more enemy to worry about." Louise said.

"We don't have to worry just yet." He said. "We should probably go back to our country."

"Yeah." Louise replied. "We also have some affairs in Germania."

"What affairs?" Saito asked.

"There are several rooms that our mages can't open. We think they may have secrets regarding Germania's acquisition of your world's weapons." She replied.

"We can probably open them." He said. "I guess we should do that tomorrow."

"Let's go home now." Louise said. "Shion and Alex still have business here."

"Alright." He replied. "Hey everyone, we'll be going to our country now. We have some business to attend to."

"Saito, do you mind if we stay here?" Aisaka asked.

"Ask Sasha. It's her country." Saito said.

He picked up his kids, then looked at the two dragons that lay together.

"You guys can stay here if you want." He said.

"We're coming with you." Tempus said.

"If you insist." Saito said, hopping on Soren's back.

Louise hopped on Tempus's back. They waved goodbye to their family and friends, then seemingly disappeared as they traveled to their country. When they arrived, they immediately went into their palace. Their guards and maids were happy to see them, bowing very low.

"Don't bow. We told you that." Louise said.

They immediately looked up and went back to their stations, making sure to try and impress the King and Queen. Saito made his way into he and Louise's office, where a stack of papers sat on a large marble desk.

"What are all of these?" Saito asked.

"Letters from suitors." Louise said, burning them with her magic.

"They still think I'm dead?" Saito asked, looking at the ashes.

"No, they just believe that I'd leave you for them for some reason." She replied, sitting on a chair. "Do you believe he's still alive?"

"You mean Eztli?" Saito asked. "If Tempus has a hunch that he's alive, then yes."

"And here I thought we'd be able to live peacefully for a while." She sighed, lifting her two kids in the air.

"Im going to get some rest." Saito said after a few moments of silence.

"I'll remain awake for a while." She replied.

"Just remember to wake up early." He said as he walked out of the room. "We visit Germania tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. Get some rest." She said.

As soon as he got into his room and laid on his bed, he fell asleep, feeling unusually tired. After a few moments, he woke up in front of Lífþrasir, or rather, in front of her beach. He sat down in front of the water until eventually, the massive serpent rose out of the water.

"Hello there." It said, towering above him.

"Hi." Saito said rather quickly. "Listen, I have several question I hoped you could answer."

"I suppose I have nothing better to do than to answer them." She replied. "Ask away."

"Where exactly are you and Gandalfr sealed?" He asked.

"I recall telling you that before." She replied.

"No, I mean...is there a way I can go there?" He asked. "Maybe I could find a way to release you."

"You would an absurd amount of power to release me." She said. "Perhaps less to release my brother."

"I think Louise and I could do it." He said confidently.

"You can try if you want, but you will fail." She said. "I can guide you to where I'm held."

"Please do." Saito said.

"I have been sealed at the bottom of a sea. That's where I reside at the moment." She said. "That was about 6,000 years ago. They called the sea Östersjön. The East Sea."

"What a strange name." Saito thought to himself.

"When you finish your business in this world, I will allow you to find me." She said. "As for Gandalfr, he is sealed in a world with no life. The ground is of molten metal. He was in a cage at some point, but it seems you released him."

"Couldn't I just break your chains now and set you free?" He asked.

"Unlike Gandalfr's cage, which simply needed to be unlocked, my chains must be shattered." She explained. "The person who sealed Gandalfr intended to be able to access more of his power if need be, so he made it simpler to release him from his shackles."

"So were you not intended to be used?" Saito asked.

"I was, but because I contain more power than Gandalfr does, he didn't have a reason to access more of it. Especially since those who use my power end up dying from it." She said.

"Destroying chains that big could be troublesome, but I'll figure something out." He said with a warm smile. "I do have another question though. What happened to Eztli?"

She seemed agitated when hearing that name spoken, as if a feeling of disgust filled her body to the brim.

"He perished with his country." She said finally.

"Well...that's the thing. Tempus believes he's alive and...something happened to make me believe it too." He said. "Someone is manipulating the dead."

"It could be one of your void mages." She said dismissively.

"I know who and where they are. It is not them." Saito said. "Hypothetically speaking, if it were him, how would we be able to stop him?"

"You would have to release me and my brothers, then perhaps you would stand a chance of winning." She said. "Of course, hypothetically speaking, if he were alive, it would be safe to have any help you could get."

"I see." Saito said thoughtfully. "Do you know where I can find your other two brothers? I can't speak to them yet."

"Only one resides in the world of your void mage." She said. "Find the highest peak in the world, and they will be there."

"That sounds too easy to be true." Saito said. "Anyway, thanks for your help. I'll talk to you soon."

She mildly bowed her head, then disappeared into the depths of the sea. A few moments later, Saito woke up. It was early in the morning and Louise was already prepared to depart for Germania. With his speed, he quickly got dressed, then ran downstairs to greet her.

"Good morning." She said as she fed Gabriel some porridge. "Ready to leave?"

"Yeah." Saito said. "Let's see what Albrecht was hiding."

They hopped on the two dragons that were laying on the ground near the door, strangely close to each other.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to ride on your backs?" Louise asked.

"I'm happy to help you and your mate." The white one said.

Louise rubbed her fur softly before both dragons stood up and began making their way towards the Germanian capital city.

 **In Sasha's cabin**

Shion woke up very early in the morning. To make sure she didn't wake the others, she sat on the roof of Sasha's house. As she watched the sun rise, she looked into the woods, where she saw a chilling image.

What looked like the dark, blurry silhouette of a man was watching the cabin from several hundred yards away. It remained completely still, but Shion knew that it was very much alive. Keeping her eyes on it the whole time, she quickly made her way back into the cabin. She immediately shook Sasha and Mariel awake.

"What? What's wrong?" Mariel asked.

Shion said nothing, instead choosing to point directly at the thing she was seeing. It took a moment for Mariel's eyes to stop being blurry from her sleep. However, as soon as they came into focus, she grabbed her sword which she kept on her belt.

"Little sister, wake up!" She whispered into Sasha's ear.

Sasha slowly got up and noticed that Mariel was holding her weapon. Instinctively, Sasha grabbed her axe.

"What's wrong, elder sister?" She asked.

"What is that thing?" Mariel asked, pointing at the figure. "Can you not feel the magic coming from it?"

"I can." Sasha said. "It's...familiar."

As the three of them stood with their weapons drawn, Alex woke up. He had been having nightmares all night, so he was quite alert when he work up. He his three companions watching something in the woods with weapons drawn, which made him immediately pull his dagger from his belt.

"What is it?" He asked.

"We...don't know." Mariel replied.

Sasha quickly grabbed a small knife that she kept holstered in her boot. After a split second of aiming, she threw it at the figure with immense speed and accuracy. However, as soon as the knife made contact with it, it vanished into thin air.

"It's not safe for Saito's family to be here." Sasha said.

"You're right, little sister." Mariel said. "But we have no fast way of getting them back to their world."

"Whatever that thing is, it's probably not after them." Alex said, putting his dagger back in its sheath. "I say we hide them in one of the cities on the lake."

"You're right." Shion said. "We cannot allow Saito to lose his family again."

 **In Saito's 'soul'**

"Gandalfr." A deep, booming voice said.

The great beast opened its eyes and looked upwards.

"What is it?"

"You feel it?" The voice asked.

"Yeah." He replied.

"And the boy?" The voice asked.

"He is not ready to face it." Gandalfr replied.

"I told you this day would come." The voice said. "For 6000 years we have been sealed within hosts who are incapable. 6000 years wasted. If we had continued to destroy the humans, this would not have happened."

"Shut up. Our purpose was to destroy that country. Besides, this boy will not disappoint." Gandalfr said, rather irritated.

"You who does not even remember your mother should not speak of what she desired." The voice retorted.

"We have nothing left to lean on but this young man." Gandalfr said, raising his voice slightly. "He will dispose of that thing, even if we could not."

"I hope for everyone's sake that you're right, brother." The voice said.

Gandalfr seemed to think for a little while. After he had processed his thoughts, he sighed and closed his eyes. With one last sentence, he drifted back into sleep.

"Trust me on this one...Mjöðvitnir."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! Yes, I am writing at 1:40 am, but never mind that. Tell me what you thought of the this chapter, the one before, or anything about the story in general. I love reading what you guys have to say, so keep the opinions coming! Thanks for reading guys! Catch you next time!**


	58. Chapter 58: An Old Enemy

**Chapter 58: An Old Enemy**

Saito and Louise arrived at the Germanian capital city of Vindobona riding their two furred companions. Their two kids sat in front of them, bewildered by everything. A crowd soon gathered around them and word began to spread not only of their arrival, but of their two children.

It seemed that everyone was grateful for their role in ending the war. Most likely because their living conditions had greatly improved thanks to support from the victorious countries, and their new Empress.

After about an hour of walking through the city and being showered with flowers, they arrived at the gate of the palace. The guards immediately let them in into the palace and led them to the Empress's room, despite the immense fear they felt when they saw the two dragons they rode.

After a few seconds, they were allowed into the room. On a bed in the room, Empress Augusta sat playing with her kids. Her kids first noticed the two dragons that entered the room, cowering behind their mother.

Saito and Louise hopped off the creatures, letting them lay on the ground together. They then bowed towards the empress and her kids.

"Hello, Augusta." Louise said.

"No need for formalities." Augusta replied, giving Louise a hug. "This must be your husband."

"Yes." Louise replied as Saito raised his head.

"My name is Saito. I apologize for not being able to meet you when the war ended." Saito said.

"No apologies are necessary." Augusta replied. "I assume these two adorable children are yours? Last I saw them, they were still inside your wife's belly. Friedrich, Hermann, come and say hello."

The boys scurried from their bed and stood next to their mother. They didn't say anything, still terrified by the two monsters that were laying down behind Saito and Louise.

"Don't be afraid." Saito said. "They're friendly."

They slowly moved closer to them and touched their fur, which the dragons weren't bothered about. Slowly, the boys became more comfortable around them. After a few moments, Tempus opened one of her eyes and looked directly at the boys.

"Such nice boys." She said softly.

"This one can talk?" Augusta asked. "Where do you find these things?"

"We're just lucky." Louise said nervously.

Saito squatted to talk to Augusta's kids. They seemed transfixed by his eyes, something he found amusing.

"Listen, my wife and I need to talk to your mother for some time." He said with a smile. "I'll be leaving my kids and dragons here, so I need you to protect them for me, okay?"

They nodded, looking at Saito's kids with intrigue. Saito stood up and walked back towards Augusta and his wife.

"Louise told me you needed our help with some things." He said.

"Yes. There are a series of locked rooms in the palace which we cannot open." She said. "We are hoping that with the strength of you and your wife, we may be able to get through their doors."

"Easy enough." Saito said. "Lead the way."

Augusta nodded and led them out of the room. They walked into Albrecht's former office, where they found in the floor a secret doorway. They walked down into the dark stairwell, with Saito's tail providing them enough light to see.

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the staircase, where there was a large room. There were three metal doors on each of the walls. They didn't seem to have any locking mechanisms. There was not even so much as a door knob or a handle.

"Are these the doors?" Louise asked.

"Yes. No magic seems strong enough to get through it." Augusta replied. "Perhaps one of you are strong enough."

Saito walked towards one of the doors, putting his hand on it. His hand slowly began to heat up. He decided he could try melting through the metal. His hand got hotter and hotter, but the metal remained unfazed.

"Louise, you try your void magic." Saito said, backing away from the door.

She nodded and walked towards. She pointed her finger at it and soon, a beam of light shot onto the metal. However, again, nothing happened to the door.

"Hm. Nothing seems to be working." Saito thought to himself. "Gandalfr, any ideas?"

"Use your magic." The beast said in his head.

"I already tried that." Saito replied.

"The magic that you acquired after the war." The beast replied.

"But I don't even know what it does." Saito replied.

"Figure it out then." Gandalfr said.

Saito sighed and looked back at the door. He allowed his magic to envelop his hand. Soon, a dark red flame-like aura covered his hand. He put his hand to the door, waiting to see if something happened. After a few moment, as he was about to give up, the door began to corrode away.

He slowly walked forward until the door was finally gone. Inside the room were several shelves filled with papers and scrolls. He picked up one of the books and opened it. The writing in the scrolls wasn't anything Saito had seen before, so there wasn't much he could deduce from it.

"What is all this?" He asked.

"I don't know." Louise said. "None of these are in Halkeginian. Maybe Colbert will be able to decipher them..." 

"I guess we better check the other rooms." She said.

They checked each of the rooms, all of them filled with similar contents as the first, except for one. The door that was directly in front of them when they came to the bottom of the staircase was the last one remaining to be opened.

As Saito destroyed the door, he expected to find the same thing as before, but inside, there was nothing but a splintered, worn out box. As Saito walked closer, he got a very strange feeling from it, but he kept inching closer anyway.

In a very swift motion, he pulled the lid from the top of the box. Inside, he was surprised to find nothing but a skeleton of a person. It was creepy, but at the same time, relieving to know that there was no threat.

"This must be a tomb of some kind." Saito said.

"But for who?" Augusta asked. "A Germanian king?"

"I don't think so." Saito replied. "Not from what I saw in the other rooms. Perhaps this was created before Germania ever existed. I wonder why I was able to open it..?"

"Regardless of that, we should have these documents examined." Louise said. "We should also reseal this man's tomb."

"Yeah. We can have some earth mages create a new door." Augusta said.

"No, I can do it." Saito said, although he seemed confused as to why he felt this way.

"What do you mean?" Louise asked.

He didn't say anything. He simply put his hand on the pile of dust that was once the sealed metal door. Slowly, the magic that covered his hand enveloped the dust. After a few seconds of nothing happening, the door started to rebuild itself until eventually, it was as if it was never destroyed.

"How..?" Louise began.

"I don't know..." Saito said, more to himself than to his wife. "I feel tired. Let's get out of here."

Louise let him lean on her shoulder as they walked back up the staircase. Once they were finally above ground, they went back to where their kids were. Augusta's children were happily playing with Saito's when they arrived. They had been gone for several hours, so they were quite happy to see them return.

"Thank you for your help." Augusta said. "I'll send word back to you as quickly as possible about the contents of those chambers."

"No need for thanks." Saito said, weakly.

"Are you sure you want to travel home like this? You seem very tired." Augusta asked.

"It'll be fine. Trust me." He said.

"I'll take care of him." Louise said, still supporting her husband's body.

She helped onto Soren's back, then picked up her kids and got on Tempus. She waved goodbye as they rode out of the palace. However, as soon as they were out of sight, she looked down at the white dragon.

"You wonder what's wrong with him?" The dragon asked.

"He shouldn't be feeling this weak." Louise said. "I know it's because of that magic he used."

"Yes, it was." Tempus confirmed. "He used divine magic. Magic of us gods. Mortals should not be able to acquire it."

"Will it kill him?" Louise asked.

"It's his own power, so it's unlikely." She replied. "However, how he attained such power is a mystery to me."

 **In Saito's Soul**

Saito laid on the ground. His head was partially submerged in the liquid like surface. After a few moments, he slowly got up, feeling very lethargic.

"Gandalfr...what happened?" He asked.

"You used magic which you should not be capable of using." The beast replied.

"Why can I use it?" Saito asked.

"Perhaps it is because you have fused with me." The beast said. "I, as an extension of the gods, have this kind of power. It must have been fused with your own."

"I see. I'm so tired." Saito said, laying back down.

"It will be a long time before your body is used to using it." Gandalfr said.

"Is that why you refused to unseal all of my magic?" Saito asked.

"It is part of the reason." The beast said. "Do not worry, you will master it soon. You will have no choice."

"No choice? What do you mean?" Saito asked.

"Wake up, boy." The beast said, closing his eyes.

Saito's eyes immediately shot open. He was laying in bed the next day, early in the morning. Louise lay next to him, her soft breathing giving him some comfort. He slowly got up and went to the bathroom, looking in the mirror.

He was sweating profusely. He wasn't particularly warm. If anything, he felt cold, but he felt extremely nervous. His dark red aura surrounded his body, clearly visible in the mirror. He immediately began to feel very weak, but he did his best to stay standing.

He closed his eyes and began to focus. After several moments, the fire like aura disappeared and his strength started coming back. He got back into bed and began to think about what could be happening to him.

He and Louise's main objective at this point in time was to decipher the documents they found in Germania. However, since that relied on Augusta reporting back to them, it would be a while before they could make any progress.

They therefore had several days to somewhat relax until anything got back, mainly occupying themselves with managing the country. Saito also took the time to try and figure out what he could about his magic. Gandalfr refused to give him answers about anything, so it wasn't very easy to do. After the eighth day after they arrived in their palace, they heard a very loud commotion from the guards outside.

"I'm going to go check it out." Saito said to Louise, who was writing several executive orders from behind her desk.

"Okay. Let me know what's wrong." She said without looking up.

When he walked outside, he saw his guards surrounding one spot on the ground. When he moved forward to get a closer look, he nearly dropped to his knees in shock.

Alex, Shion, Mariel, and Sasha lay on the ground unconscious and, more importantly, severely wounded.

"Take them inside immediately!" He ordered.

The guards nodded and carefully picked them up, taking them to the infirmary. While they occupied themselves with that, Saito went back to Louise, who had no idea that her friends were clinging on to life.

"Louise, come with me. Right now." Saito said in a stern voice.

She knew immediately that something terrible happened, so she didn't argue. They ran as fast as they could through the hallways, with their dragons seemingly appearing from nowhere behind them.

When they arrived in the infirmary, Louise gasped at the state of her friends. Each one of them was bleeding from several deep cuts and wounds in their bodies. Their entire bodies were bruised and burned, and some of their bones were clearly broken.

"What happened?" She asked.

"The one with white hair dragged the rest here..."One of the guards said. "As soon as she saw us, she collapsed."

"Go and fetch doctors." Saito told the guards.

The guards all bowed and left the room, leaving the two monarchs alone to absorb what was happening. As they sat in silence, Sasha coughed up a large amount of blood. Slowly, one of her eyes cracked open. She tried to speak, but it seemed that her throat had been crushed.

"Don't try to speak." Louise said. "You can tell us what happened when you heal."

Sasha slowly shook her head, as if she wanted them to know everything right now. Again, she strained her voice to speak, this time managing to at least make air pass through her mouth.

"Don't try to talk, please." Saito said. "If you insist on saying something, then tell us who did this."

She kept straining and straining to speak. Just as she was about to pass out again from her injuries, she managed to say one word which sent shivers down the spins of Louise and, perhaps even more so, Saito. In a voice barely audible even to their acute ears, she spoke one word before falling into unconsciousness.

"Bri….mir."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I'm being consistent in posting these chapters. Are you proud of me? Lol. Feel free to send me PM's about what you thought. The next several chapters (by several, I mean maybe 10-20) will be rather morbid. Well, there may be a happy one or two thrown in there. We'll see. Anyway, see you next time! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	59. Chapter 59: Brimir's Strength

**Chapter 59: Brimir's Strength**

An eerie silence enveloped the room. Sasha had just fallen into unconsciousness again, so they couldn't ask her if they heard her incorrectly. After several minutes of sitting next to her in silence, a team of doctors rushed into the room.

"My King, my Queen. Please leave the room and allow us to work." One of the doctors said, bowing low.

Initially very slow to respond, the two leaders got up and walked out of the room in silence. They sat outside the door, wondering what was next for them.

"Snap out of it." Tempus said, gently pushing their heads with her tails.

"What do we do?" Saito said quietly.

"Wait until they wake up." Tempus said.

"Couldn't you make them heal faster?" Louise asked.

"I could, I suppose." The dragon said. "However, it might put their bodies into shock considering the amount of damage they've taken. Healing so quickly and waking up could be traumatic."

"I can heal them if I need to." Saito said. "I've healed people before."

"Considering your method of healing, you would be out of energy." Tempus said.

"What do you mean by that?" Louise asked.

"The way the boy heals is peculiar at time. Rather than letting the body regenerate its lost tissue, sometimes he seems to...create the tissue himself. Apparently from nothing as well." The dragon said. "Creating something from nothing is something mortals should not be able to do. Regardless of this, such a process drains him of energy, as has been shown in the past. Even though he can assist the body in regenerating itself, which would cost less energy, he has no control over which method he uses."

"I'll wait for the doctors to do their work." Saito said. "After that, I'll help heal them. More importantly, did you hear what she said, Louise?"

"Brimir?" Louise said rather quietly. "He should be dead. She killed him."

"This can't be right." Saito said to himself. "Maybe she mistook him for someone else."

"I don't think that's a face she could forget." Louise said.

For hours, they then sat silently outside the infirmary until eventually, the stress from the situation made them exhausted enough to fall asleep. They were woken up past noon the next day when the doctors emerged from the room.

"How are they?!" Saito immediately asked.

"They will live, my lord." One of the doctors said.

Saito sighed in relief and thanked the doctors, then dismissed them to allow he and Louise to be alone in the room. When they walked in, they were better able to see the severity of the wounds their friends received.

Sasha's throat was crushed, several of her ribs broken, and was covered in deep stab wounds. Mariel had similar wounds, save for her throat being intact, but her body was covered in several more bruises than her little sister. Shion seemed to have had the most bones broken and was covered in scars that made it look like chunks of flesh had been torn from her body. Worst of all, she had a scar over her right eye, making her blind on that side

Alex was had similar wounds to his wife, but had much more of them, perhaps because he attempted to protect her. However, the most heartbreaking wound he sustained was the loss of most of his left arm. From halfway between his shoulder and elbow, it was severed off, with nothing left but a stump wrapped in blood stained bandages.

Saito put his hand on Sasha's forehead and closed his eyes. Every injury about her body was made clear to him. Not only was she hurt on the outside, but she had severe internal damage, although the doctors had done a good job of healing her.

"Her throat is crushed." Saito said. "I'll fix it, at the very least."

With his hand still on her head, Louise could see her throat rearranging itself to its former state as Saito let his magic flow into her body. The process made Louise feel sick, but she remained in the room anyway. When he was done, he moved away from her and sat on a nearby chair.

For the next eight hours, they sat in silence, with Saito's eyes gravitating towards their friends' wounds, particularly Alex's arm. After the eighth our, while Louise had left the room to feed her kids, Sasha's eyes slowly crept open.

Saito, who had fallen asleep on his chair, was nudged awake by Soren when he noticed Sasha was awake. When Saito saw Sasha's eyes, he immediately rushed to her side.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"What a terrible question to ask someone in this condition." She said, although Saito knew it was a joke.

"What happened?" He asked.

When she was reminded of why she was in a hospital bed, she immediately tried to get up, but the shocking pain from her wounds kept her in bed.

"We were attacked." She said. "It was Brimir."

"But...you killed him." Saito said.

"He is alive." Sasha responded. "I'd never forget his face."

As she said this, Shion began to stir. Her eyes shot open and she immediately jumped onto her feet. However, as soon as her brain realized that she was safe and, more importantly, in excruciating pain, she laid back down in bed.

"We lost..." She said quietly.

"Don't be disappointed." Sasha said.

"How did we get here?" Shion asked.

"I dragged you here." Sasha said bluntly.

Shion looked around the room, happy to see Saito staring directly at her, albeit looking quite sad. She then noticed that she couldn't see out of her right eye. It was entirely black, with all of her vision coming from her left eye. She slowly touched the right side of her face, realizing she was blind on that side.

"I'm sorry to be a burden." Shion said.

"I would not have survived without you, my sister, or your husband's help. Do not be sorry." Sasha said.

"My husband..." Shion said before realizing what Sasha meant. "Alex!"

She shot up in bed and looked around for her husband. As soon as her eyes gazed upon him, she initially felt a rush of happiness. However, this happiness was immediately followed by extreme sadness and guilt as soon as she saw his arm.

The longer she stared at him, the more tears began to flow down her face. She rubbed stroked his long black hair, glad that he was alive, but devastated that he lost an arm.

Soon, however, his eyes began to move under his eyelids. After a few moments, his gray eyes slowly opened. His eyes immediately met with his wife's, who was staring directly over him, the tears from her eyes falling onto his face.

"Hey, what's up." He said weakly, keeping to his child-like nature.

Despite her broken bones and immense pain, Shion hugged him tightly. He didn't move at all, instead letting her release her emotions. Eventually, she let him go. He managed to sit up very slowly.

"It hurts!" He said, starting to pout his face.

His childishness allowed everyone in the room to feel a little better, even going so far as to bring a smile to Shion's face. However, he soon looked down at his left arm. Everyone was anticipating a more serious reaction to this.

"Well, that's not good." He said, moving the stump the was left there. "I guess learning to use one hand wont be too bad."

"You're not upset about it?" Saito asked.

"I mean...it could be worse." Alex said.

However, his childishness disappeared when he noticed Shion's eye. It had become completely gray in coloration. A scar ran from the top of her forehead and down through her eyelids and cheek, going all the way to the base of her neck.

"It's just a scar." She said. "Don't worry."

Alex's eyes filled with water as he held her hand.

"I couldn't protect you." He said, his voice with grief.

"You gave your arm to protect me." She said. "I'm alive because of you."

He laid his head on her chest, hugging her with his remaining arm. He held her very firmly, refusing to let her go back to her own bed, instead having her lay with him.

As this was happening, Louise walked back into the room holding her two kids. A large smile appeared on her face when she saw three of her four friends awake.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She said to all of them, holding back tears.

"It's nice to see you too, little sister." Sasha said.

"What happened?" Louise asked.

"We were attacked by someone." Alex said with an air of hostility surrounding him.

"Sister, is it true that it's Brimir?" Louise asked.

Sasha nodded, wincing slightly at the movement.

"Wait...where's my family?" Saito asked with fear written on his face.

"They are safe." Sasha said. "We hid them underground. Without any magic for him to sense, it's highly unlikely that they can be found."

"That's a relief." Saito sighed. "I'm going to heal you guys a little. Shion, I'll start with you, although I don't think I can repair your sight. Still, your wounds are the least severe."

"No. Heal Alex fi-" She stopped short from Alex grabbing her arm.

"Saito, heal her." He said quietly.

Saito nodded and put his hand on Shion's arm. For just a moment, Sasha thought he looked alarmed, but the look quickly disappeared. Soon, Saito's dark red aura enveloped Shion as well. She felt a strange sensation inside her body, as if it were being destroyed and created again.

After several minutes, her body had been repaired. However, she still couldn't move. She felt extremely fragile, as if moving might break a bone. Her back especially was actually extremely painful. Despite this, however, she knew that she'd be okay given a few days of rest.

As soon as Saito finished healing her, he collapsed onto the ground. He was extremely light headed and felt devoid of all energy. Louise helped him to his feet. When he looked up, his eyes no longer glowed a brilliant orange, but were a very dark, dull red.

"That really takes a lot out of me." He said weakly. "I dont think I'll be able to heal the rest of you for a while."

"Thanks for healing her." Alex said.

"Don't thank me. I should have been there to help you guys." Saito said.

"Then you could have died with us." Mariel said, revealing she was awake.

"Elder sister!" Louise and Sasha both exclaimed.

"I'm okay." Mariel said, sitting up. "I'll be able to heal myself. I, unlike my little sister, specialize in sciences rather than combat."

"If we could get to the mountain, we might be able to heal everyone in a few weeks." Louise said.

"We can't go back." Mariel said. "That thing might still be lurking there."

Her eyes soon met with Alex's, who had become extremely serious after seeing Shion's eye. She could feel a strange determination and hatred coming from him. The only things that ever made him serious were Shion or her. She then noticed that he was missing an arm. She looked away for several seconds, then took a deep breath.

"Once we can go to my lab, I can make you a new arm." She said.

"I don't want one." Alex said. "This happened to me because I was protecting Shion. I gave my arm for her life, so I'm willing to live with that."

"That one has a good heart." Sasha said. "Just like his father."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is all very intriguing to me." Tempus said. "Do explain what happened."

"As you wish." Mariel said.

 **After Saito and Louise departed**

Alex, Shion, Mariel, and Sasha all watched the dark figure in the woods. For several minutes, it watched them without moving. After approximately an hour, it simply vanished into nothingness.

"Get Saito's family hidden immediately." Mariel said.

Alex nodded and immediately began shaking the Hiragas awake. Aisaka woke up almost immediately.

"Eh? What's wrong?" She asked lazily.

"We're all in danger. You have no power, so we're hiding you away." Alex said.

"In danger from what?" Aisaka asked.

"We don't know yet." Alex said. "Wake your parents and tell them. We'll carry you to where you'll be staying until we can make sure it's safe."

"I understand." Aisaka said.

She woke her parents up and explained the situation. They didn't quite understand, but they listened anyway.

"Where are we going to be going?" Aisaka asked.

"It'll only be a minute. It's an underground bunker far away from the cities." Mariel said. "It's about 100 kilometers away."

"That'll take days to walk that far." Aisaka whined.

"It'll only be about 10 minutes." Sasha said. "We won't run as fast as we can. You might be a little scared. Aisaka, Mr. Hiraga, hold onto Mariel. Mrs. Hiraga, hold on to me. Alex, Shion, remain here and keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Understood." Shion and Alex said.

Sasha and Mariel grabbed Saito's family and began running quickly into the woods. Alex and Shion sat back to back in the house. After a very long 15 minutes, Mariel and Sasha returned.

"They're safe." Sasha said. "We have to inform the council of this."

"Good grief. More bad news." Mariel said. "Alright, let's go."

They all quickly ran to the council building, making sure not to let anyone see them. When they arrived, the council had also just arrived to have a meeting. Despite wondering why she wasn't invited, Sasha decided to simply inform them of what happened.

"My colleagues, I have come with information." She said. "There is a foreign, possibly hostile power within this kingdom."

"What kind of power?" Eres asked.

"We do not know yet. We will inform you if anything happens." Sasha said. "Now, we will be leaving your meeting. Do make sure that you inform me of what you are plotting in due course."

Before they could respond, she left with the other three. They immediately went back to Sasha's cabin, where they decided that two people should keep watch while two took time to rest. For the next six days, they kept using this cycle.

At midnight on the sixth day, while Sasha and Mariel were keeping watch, Mariel saw something in the distance with her keen eyesight.

"Little sister. Look." She said.

Sasha looked in the direction her sister pointed. There indeed was something strange. A person was walking towards their cabin. Immediately, Sasha woke up Shion and Alex.

"On guard." She said. "Something is coming."

"What is it?" Shion asked.

"It seems to be a person." Mariel said.

As they stared at the person walking their way, they each grabbed the handles of their weapons. The person was more than 5 kilometers away, so they were still unsure of exactly what they were. However, as they kept trying to make out their features, the person vanished into thin air.

This alarmed the four of them, making them draw out their weapons. As they stood back to back, waiting for an attack, there was a deafening silence. Suddenly, an explosion detonated their house, throwing them to the ground.

They quickly got up to face their enemy. In front of them, there was one man. Clouds covered the twin moons in the sky, so they couldn't get a clear look at his face. In a fluid movement too fast even for Mariel to see, he lifted his hand and pointed at Mariel.

A beam of light quickly shot from his finger and pierced her leg. It was an unusually intense pain for such a small wound, making her fall to the ground. Despite the pain, however, she quickly stood up. The man quickly disappeared again, causing the air to make a cracking sound from his speed. He then appeared behind Sasha, punching her several times in her abdomen before finally kicking her dozens of yards away, shattering the bones in her rib cage and one of her vertebrae.

Before Mariel could try and attack him, he disappeared again. Next time, he appeared several yards away in front of all of them. He lifted his hand, although not towards any one of them in particular. Five balls of light quickly shot out and into Shion's body. Soon, they began to grow, destroying the flesh around them. She screamed in pain, unable to stop it.

Alex, fearful for her life, quickly ran to the man and tried to stab his abdomen. He thought he was successful at first, but soon realized the man had grabbed the blade before it could touch his abdomen. With his other arm, the man brought down his hand on Alex's upper arm, severing it from his body. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain as his arm bled profusely.

With her speed, Mariel appeared above the man and attempted to kick his head. However, where her foot would make contact with the man's head, a circular white shield of magic appeared. It repelled her foot with the same force that she used to send it forward, causing her to be off balance in mid air.

While she remained in the air, the man punched her as he did Sasha, causing several fractures and damaging her organs. Sasha maneuvered behind the man and tried to cut through his abdomen, but he coated his hand in magic and, in one motion, shattered her axe.

The shock from this left Sasha open to attack. He grabbed her by the neck and began to choke her, crushing her windpipe and vocal chords, then threw her onto the ground. With all of them incapacitated, the man seemingly walked into the air, stepping on discs of magic which appeared at his feet.

He turned back and looked at the group who he had just defeated. Slowly, he drew his wand from under his cloak. As a ball of magic gathered at its tip, the clouds in the sky cleared, allowing the moonlight to illuminate his face.

Sasha's eyes widened when she saw his blonde hair blowing softly in the wind. Brimir stood above them, looking like a deity in the way the moons in the sky bathed him in light. Without saying anything, the light shot down towards the group and Brimir began to leave, taking one last look at Sasha before disappearing. Sasha thought she noticed a slight bit of hesitation before he left, but dismissed it as her imagination.

The ball of light exploded instantly as it touched the ground. Sasha's skin began to burn as the explosion enveloped her. It seemed to be infused with the other four elements, as intense winds cut her, blazing fires burned her, a multitude of rocks bruised her, and poisonous water filled her lungs. Eventually, even she succumbed to the onslaught of magic, finally losing consciousness.

When she finally woke up, the sun was in the sky. In the distance, she could see smoke towering into the sky. However, her main concern was the lives of her companions. She managed to crawl to each of them one by one. Eventually, she managed to bring them close enough to where she could drag them by their hands.

For the rest of the day, she crawled away from the smoke, eventually leaving the kingdom. Through the night, the next day, and the following night after that as well, she crawled through Gallia and Tristain. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, she saw the home of Saito and Louise in the distance. Filled with determination, she kept crawling until soon, one of the palace guards noticed her in the distance, eventually leading to her being brought to the palace infirmary.

 **In the Present**

"That's what happened." Mariel said.

"What a monster..." Saito said in shock.

"He is no normal human." Sasha said, remembering the fight.

"We need to be ready for when he comes back, don't we?" Louise said.

"I doubt he will come here." Mariel said. "At least not yet. But it is imperative that we all heal very soon."

"It will take me a while to gather the energy required to heal you all." Saito said. "You could be here for more than a month."

"Then go and rest." Mariel said. "We have no time."

"Alright. I'll do my best." Saito said.

He got up and, with Louise supporting him, walked back to his room. He laid down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Now I know what you meant when you said I'd have no choice but to figure out my magic, Gandalfr." He said.

"Sort of." The beast replied.

But Saito did not hear this, as he had already drifted into unconsciousness.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! I know I should stop making a habit of posting at 2 in the morning, but...whatever. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I told you it wouldn't be particularly happy, but I still enjoyed writing it. A new chapter is coming tomorrow. Maybe even today. We'll see. Either way, I'll catch you next time!**


	60. Chapter 60: Healing Wounds

**Chapter 60: Healing Wounds**

Alex woke up in his hospital bed. It had been about one and a half weeks since Shion had been healed by Saito. Every day since she had been healed, she had complained that four spots on her back were in excruciating pain.

When Alex woke up, he noticed that Shion was nowhere to be found. Something strange considering she had stayed by his side ever since they had arrived in Saito's palace. He wasn't healed yet, so he couldn't get up to look for her. He noticed that Mariel was awake, so he decided to ask her.

"Mother, where is Shion?" He asked.

"I don't know. She wasn't here this morning." She replied. "Little sister, have you seen Shion?"

Sasha, who had developed the habit of pretending like she was asleep until someone noticed otherwise, slowly opened her eyes.

"I do not know. She was not here when I woke up." Sasha replied.

At this moment, Louise and Saito walked into the room. Saito had finally rested enough to heal one more person.

"Good morning." Louise said. "How do you all feel?"

"The pain is bearable." Sasha said in her quiet voice.

"I have the strength to heal one of you." Saito said. "I guess I'll heal Alex first."

"Heal Sasha first." Alex said, laying back in bed.

"Are you sure?" Saito asked. "It'll be another 2 weeks or so before I can heal someone else."

"Heal my mother next. I can wait a month before being healed." He replied.

"I will heal the dark haired woman." Tempus said, seemingly appearing from nowhere. "Her body heals much faster than all of yours, so it shouldn't cause any issues."

"I guess you'll only have to wait two weeks after all." Saito said to Alex.

"Alex, where is Shion?" Louise asked.

"None of us know. She wasn't here this morning." Alex said.

"I'll go look for her." She replied. "I'll find her. Don't worry."

Louise left the room, leaving Saito to begin healing Sasha. Her wounds were extremely severe, especially her internal wounds. However, because the majority of her wounds were bone fractures, she was relatively easy to heal.

After about half an hour, he was done. He sat down in a chair, knowing that he would collapse onto the ground otherwise. Sasha immediately stood on her feet and began hopping on her legs, making sure there was nothing wrong with them.

"I am very grateful, Saito." She said, bowing towards him.

"I'm glad to help." He said weakly.

"I'm going to help little sister look for Shion." She said.

"You should stay in bed for a while, little sister." Mariel said while reading a book.

"I refuse." Sasha said, preparing to leave the room.

"I am still your elder sister. Listen to me." Mariel said, still looking down at her book.

"I am over 6000 years old. I no longer have to obey you." Sasha said.

Despite this, she sat back down in her bed, pouting her face. Saito and Alex laughed at the brief exchange between the two sisters. Soon, however, Saito fell asleep in his chair, exhausted from healing Sasha.

He woke up several hours later by a commotion in the room. When his eyes opened, Sasha was holding someone up against the wall. Saito got a closer look at the person, then immediately tried to get Sasha to drop him.

Wales was frightened for his life, fearing the small, but immensely powerful woman holding him against the wall. Saito tried to loosen her grip on him, but he couldn't so much as make her move. He seemed to have forgotten just how much stronger than him she was

"He's a friend! Trust me! He's fine!" Saito said to Sasha.

When she heard Saito confirm that he was friendly, she gently put him on his feet and dusted him off. After observing him for a while and making sure he was unharmed, she sat back on her bed.

"My deepest apologies." She said.

"It's okay." Wales said, rubbing his neck. "May I ask who you are?"

"I am Sasha. The former Gandalfr of Brimir." She said nonchalantly.

Wales was in shock. He looked at Saito, who simply nodded without saying anything.

"I-I'm Wales, the current leader of Albion." He said, filled with fear.

"Pleased to meet you." Sasha said. "It's good to see such a dashing young man leading the country my son founded."

"Why are you here, Wales?" Alex asked.

"I heard that you were injured somehow, so I came to check on you." Wales replied. "Henrietta, Tabitha, and Josette will be here soon."

"I see." Alex said. "Well, we're fine. I'm a bit lighter than before, but I'm okay."

Wales instantly noticed that Alex was missing an arm. The sight made his own arm start to ache, despite Alex's laid back attitude towards it.

"Where's your wife?" Wales asked.

"I don't know." Alex said. "The palace grounds are so big, it could be days before we find her."

"Why'd she disappear?" Wales asked.

"She probably wanted some fresh air and got lost." Alex replied. "Her sense of direction is mediocre at best. She's a strong girl though, so I'm not worried."

At this time, Louise came back. She had no luck in finding Shion, but the other leaders that Wales had mentioned met her on her way back to the room.

"Hello everyone." Henrietta said. She then noticed the two elves that were reading some books. "Ummm, I'm not sure we're familiar."

"I am Mariel." Mariel said, introducing herself. "This is my little sister, Sasha."

"You must be friends of Louise. In that case, I am pleased to meet you." Henrietta said.

"Saito, explain what happened." Josette said, being very blunt.

"Sasha, Shion, Mariel, and Alex were attacked by someone." Saito said, choosing to hide who actually attacked them. "They weren't able to get a look at his face."

"Someone strong enough to do this to Alex, Shion, and this elf..." Wales thought to himself.

"We'll figure it out later." Alex said, catching on to what Saito was trying to do.

"I'm going to go and rest for a while." Saito said. "It takes a lot of energy to heal, so Im pretty drained right now."

"Sure. Don't push yourself too hard." Wales said, waving at him as he left the room.

"We will let you three rest as well." Wales said, more from being uncomfortable around Sasha than from wanting them to rest.

Alex laid down in his bed, thinking of where his wife might be. Despite his easy going demeanor on the outside, he was crippled with worry in his heart.

"She is fine." Mariel said.

"I know." Alex replied. "I just miss her."

He soon fell asleep, something relieving for him since he was still in quite a lot of pain. For the next several days, he would wake up, hoping that she would be there, only to find that she was still gone.

It continued like this for day after day until eventually, Saito walked into the room, prepared to heal Alex. Alex said nothing, instead waiting patiently for the process to finish.

"Let me guess...you're going to search for her?" Saito asked.

"You know me a little too well." Alex said, putting on a jacket.

"I'm exhausted, but I guess I'll come with you." Saito replied.

"We will remain here." Mariel said. Tempus had accelerated her healing the previous day, so she was walking around the room, stretching her muscles.

"Alright then. Let's go." Alex said.

The palace grounds, as he had mentioned earlier, were massive. Most of it was gardens in every direction. For several kilometers, flowers and beautiful trees stretched into the distance.

For hours upon hours they searched, but found nothing. With Saito's weakness, they couldn't move much faster than a normal human could, so they weren't able to cover much ground. Eventually, they reached a cliff that towered over them.

"She must have gone in a different direction." Saito said. "We would have found her by now."

"Yeah..." Alex said, disappointed. "You're too weak to walk back to the palace. We can make a camp here."

"Fine." Saito said.

Alex quickly made them a tent and started a fire. They sat on a log looking into the fire. They were silent for a few moments, thinking about how Alex had lost his arm to Brimir.

"I'm really proud of you." Saito said.

"Hm? Why?" Alex asked, eating a fruit he picked from a tree nearby.

"You gave your life for Louise. This is nothing in comparison." Alex replied, chuckling lightly.

"You would do the same for Shion." Saito replied.

"I couldn't protect her." Alex said, remembering what happened to her.

"She's alive." Saito said. "You did well."

Saito patted Alex's shoulder, then went into their tent to sleep. Alex remained awake, staring into the fire, feeling worried about his wife, missing the warmth she showed him when they were alone.

"I miss you." He said while looking into the fire.

"Sorry to make you worry." She replied.

"I just don't know where you are. It mak-" He stopped short, realizing someone responded to him.

He looked to his left, where his heart skipped a beat when he saw his wife sitting next to him, illuminated by the campfire's light. He immediately pulled her into a very tight hug, as if she'd disappear if he let go.

However, he noticed that on her back, he felt something strange. When he pulled away, he looked at her up and down. Soon, his eyes widened when he saw the four large, silver feathered wings that protruded from her back.

She looked sad when she noticed that he saw them, turning her face away so that he couldn't see her. He reached his hand out and stroked the soft feathers, which matched the color and luster of her silver hair.

"When did this happen?" He asked.

"The day I left." She said. "I didn't want you to see them, so I ran out into this garden, but I got lost so I couldn't come back."

"They're beautiful..." He said, staring at them.

He softly turned her face towards his and gave her a long kiss. They remained locked together for a long time. After some time, Saito walked out of the tent, looking sleepy.

"Hey Alex, where did you get that fruit?" He asked, not noticing Shion's presence because of his fatigue. "Never mind, I found it."

As he walked back from the tree, he noticed that Alex was with someone. Soon, he came back to his senses and noticed that he was kissing Shion. He also noticed that she had wings, but decided to go back into the tent, letting them have a moment.

When Alex pulled away, a thought crossed his mind, making him look quite serious, but also quite embarrassed. His face turned bright red and he had trouble looking at her in the eye.

"What's wrong, Alex?" Shion asked him.

"Well...we're in a lot of danger after what happened." He said.

"Are you afraid of attack?" She asked.

"Not exactly. See...we almost died back there. And we never got the chance to...make sure our country could have an heir." He said, trying to make it sound like his reasoning was because of political reasons.

Her face flushed red when she realized what he meant. Her usually calm demeanor disappeared as she thought about what she should do.

"We can't!" She said in a fluster. "Saito is in the tent."

"I can make another one." Alex said.

"F-Fine." She said, looking down at the ground.

Alex quickly made them a separate tent, filling it with soft grasses and flowers on the floor for comfort. He held her hand and led her inside. They slowly helped each other out of their clothes until they were completely bare.

Alex's eyes were transfixed on her body. Her breasts had grown slightly since the first time they met, although Louise's were still slightly larger. Her pale skin was very smooth despite her past profession. She too was focused on Alex's body.

He was far more muscular than his face would lead someone to believe. His skin was oddly smooth, but covered in scars. However, even with his variety of scars, she found him very attractive. She slowly and softly forced him to lay down.

He immediately became aroused when he saw her over him, her sweat making her skin moist and making it shine in the light from the moon and the fire outside. Her ran his hand down her back, making her shiver, until he reached her soft rump.

She closed her eyes and gasped when she felt his hand there. Despite her nervousness, she didn't move away. He slowly lowered her down onto the throbbing organ attached to his body. As it went inside her, she held her breath. She was extremely sensitive, as was Alex, so once he was all the way inside, they remained still for several moments.

After a few moments, she gave him the okay to start moving. Slowly, he began to move forward and back. She was at first, very tense, but soon began to loosen up towards him. She began to let out a series of squeals and moans as the feeling transitioned from pain to pleasure.

In Saito's tent, he tried his best to block out the noises coming from the couple, but to no avail. For the whole night, the sounds got louder and louder until around 4 AM, there was silence. About three hours later, Saito sat outside on a log looking down into the fire. Alex came out of the tent looking exhausted.

"Good morning, Saito." Alex said. "Shion's back."

"I know." Saito said, looking rather upset.

"Hm? You saw her?" Alex asked.

"I heard her." Saito replied. "I heard both of you. Congratulations on becoming a man after 400 years."

Alex turned a bright shade of red and looked down into his lap, filled with embarrassment. He said nothing to Saito for quite a while. After about ten minutes, he finally returned to his bubbly self.

"Well, I have to admit, I was pretty scared." He said, starting to laugh.

"Scared? That's not what I expected from you." Saito said, putting his hand into the fire to feel its heat more.

"Well, I didn't want to disappoint her." Alex replied, looking up into the sky.

"It's hard to disappoint someone with no experience." Saito said.

"She's stronger than I anticipated." Alex remembered. "Still, it felt great."

"Good for you." Saito said, wondering why Alex was telling him such things in detail. "How did her wings grow back?"

"She said she woke up on the morning of the day she left and they were there." Alex replied. "They're beautiful."

"Yeah. I'm happy for you two." Saito replied, standing up. "We should go back to the palace."

"Alright. I'll wake her up." Alex said.

Saito nodded and began dismantling the camp. When he was finished, he waited outside for Alex and Shion. It took several minutes, but Alex finally came out of his tent, carrying Shion on his back. She was wide awake, but felt numb from the waist down.

Her wings looked beautiful during the day, reflecting the sun's light perfectly to look like bright stainless steel. It took them quite a while to walk all the way back to the palace. It was already past noon by the time they arrived.

When they walked to the palace's infirmary, there was no one there. They walked through the palace until they heard everyone talking on a balcony at the back of the palace. When everyone noticed that they were there, they immediately stared at Shion's four avian appendages.

"So she grew her wings back after all." Mariel said.

"Why is she on your back?" Mariel asked.

"She said she's having trouble walking today." Alex said.

"Oh. Did she injure her leg? I can take a look at it." Mariel replied.

"Her wings are just weighing her down." Saito said, knowing Alex wasn't ready with an excuse. "She just needs time to get used to the extra weight."

"Ah okay. That makes sense." Mariel replied.

"So why are all of you sitting on this balcony?" Alex asked.

"We're discussing what to do about Brimir." Louise said.

"We're going to go back to the kingdom." Sasha said. "First and foremost, we have to ensure the safety of your family."

"I see." Saito said. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning." Mariel said. "Until then, we should ready ourselves."

"Won't we need some more help?" Louise asked. "If he shows up again, we could all be killed."

"I thought of this and called for help." Sasha said. "They will be here in an hour or two."

"Okay..?" Saito said. "Until they arrive, we may as well relax for a while."

"As you wish." Sasha said.

"Your wings are beautiful." Louise said to Shion. "Can you fly with them?"

"Yes, but I'm not used to it." Shion replied, having Alex let her stand on her own.

She slowly stretched her wings, spreading them far apart. She then stood on the balcony's guard rail. She took a deep breath, then let herself fall backwards. After a few seconds, she rose back up over the balcony, beating her wings as hard as possible. She was clearly off balance and could only sustain her flight for a few seconds. She had a rough landing back on the balcony, but was otherwise okay.

"I'll have someone teach her to fly when we get back." Mariel said. "She is remarkably good at it for someone who has never flown before."

She tucked her wings behind her back again and sat down on a chair. She wasn't used to having so much attention, so she was very nervous.

"She acts like you used to, little sister." Mariel said.

"Silence, elder sister." Sasha said, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

"What? You were so sweet." Mariel said. "I think you still are, but you hide it bec-"

Sasha hit her older sister's head, making her stop talking.

As everyone laughed at the sister's interaction, Saito's ear twitched as he heard someone enter the palace.

"Someone is here." Saito said.

"So it seems." Sasha said. "They arrived earlier than expected."

Everyone waited to see who exactly was coming to see them. When they came up the stairs, everyone but Saito, Mariel, and Sasha were confused as to who they could be.

They were three young men, all with blonde hair. One with blue eyes, the other teal, and the last one orange. They stood in a line, then got on one knee, bowing towards Sasha and Mariel.

"Hello Bartholomew, Vittorio, Olivière." Sasha said.

The three men looked up at Sasha, wearing smiles on their perfectly smooth faces.

"Hello, Mother."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I'm really enjoying writing these chapters. It seems like you guys enjoy them too, so that makes it even better! Thanks for reading! See you next time.**

 **Kotano-chan:**

 **Thanks for your support! It really means a lot. I'll keep updating the story, don't worry about that. We have a lot of chapters to go before it ends.**


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

"Hello, Mother." The three blonde men said.

"I am glad you three are well." Sasha replied, wearing a wide smile.

She quickly stood up and hugged her sons, smiling from ear to ear. Everyone stared at her in disbelief at her display of emotion. In all his time in Halkeginia, this was by far and away the most unbelievable thing Saito had seen. Even more so than the countless monsters he had encountered.

"Mother, you're embarrassing us." Olivière said, his cheeks turning red.

"Nonsense! It's been too long!" She said rubbing her cheeks on his.

After several minutes of her hugging her sons and embarrassing them, Mariel cleared her throat, gaining Sasha's attention. She immediately realized what she had just done in front of everyone and instantly returned to her normal self.

She cleared her throat and, after taking some time to compose herself, spoke in her normal monotone voice.

"Do you know why I asked you to come here?" She asked, her cheeks still bright red.

"No, Mother." Vittorio said. "You simply asked us to come at once."

"The reason I summoned you here was because I, no, we require your help." She said, finally managing to rid herself of her embarrassment.

"How may we help you?" Bartholomew asked.

"Approximately one month ago, I, your aunt Mariel, her son, and her daughter in law were attacked." She replied. "All of us were gruesomely injured."

The three brother's eyes widened with shock and anger.

"Who could be strong enough to hurt both you and auntie?!" Olivière asked.

"Your...Father." Sasha said after a long pause.

"F-Father?" Vittorio asked. "But...he's dead."

"Apparently not..." Mariel said.

"But why would he attack you?" Bartholomew asked.

Immediately, this struck Saito as odd, making his tail flinch. Why would he ask a question such as that? Obviously, Sasha would be the natural enemy of Brimir after what happened. Despite his curiosity, he chose to remain silent on the matter.

"I do not know..." Sasha said, concealing the truth. "Regardless of the reasons behind this, we must be prepared. We are leaving for Mariel's mountain tomorrow."

"Understood, Mother..." They said with slight apprehension.

"Since that has been dealt with, I believe we have already been acquainted...Saito." Vittorio said, looking at Saito, whose glowing orange eyes looked back at him.

"Pleased to meet you again, Vittorio." Saito said, bowing low.

"This girl with beautiful eyes must be your wife." Bartholomew said, referring to Louise.

"Louise de la Vallière. Pleased to meet you!" Louise said, extremely nervous to be talking to the founders of Halkeginia's major countries.

"Aunt Mariel!" Olivière exclaimed, jumping to hug her.

"It's good to see you too..." She said, slightly irritated.

"And you must be Alexandre." Olivière said, turning his attention to Alex. "I guess that makes us cousins!"

"I guess it does!" Alex said, reciprocating Olivière's childish personality. "You must have been in a lot of battles to become king!"

"You bet!" He replied. "I don't like to brag, but I'm a pretty competent fighter, if I do say so myself! I don't mean to be rude, but you look cool with one arm!"

"Well, I'd say I look cool all the time!" Alex replied.

They started laughing together, seemingly becoming best friends almost instantly. Everyone in the room stared at them with a mix of disappointment and irritation.

"They're exactly the same..." Saito and Louise said at the same time.

"So how did your second time here go?" Bartholomew asked, sitting down next to Saito.

"Relatively well." Saito replied. "My main objective was to be together with Louise again, so I'd say it went well."

"Are you okay with your body?" He asked.

"It's actually fairly useful, so I'll live with it." Saito replied. "Besides, I don't look half bad."

"Surely those in your own world will not look favorably upon it." He said.

"Actually...I kind of made the decision to stay here..." Saito said. "Considering how I look, the kingdom I have to rule, and the family I have to protect, it wouldn't make sense for me to go back."

"Staying for the girl, huh? How noble." Bartholomew said.

"Don't mock me." Saito said.

"I'm not." Bartholomew replied. "I have watched countless men run away from what's important to them to save their own lives. For having the resolve to come back to this place and protect her all over again, you have my respect."

"Thanks." Saito said. "What about you? Is there a special lady?"

"No. Don't tell my brothers, but I don't have the nerve to speak to women." He replied. "I never liked anyone anyway."

"I understand that. They can be a handful." Saito replied.

"What was that, Saito?" Louise said, staring down at him.

"Nothing!" He replied.

She, of course, had heard exactly what he said, but she decided to let him off the hook since they might have to fight the next day.

After a few hours, everyone decided that it was best to rest early for the next day, as everyone walked off the balcony, Saito stopped Sasha before she could leave so that they were alone.

"If you wish to make fun of me for how I treat my sons, it can wait for later." She said.

"That's not it." Saito replied. "How long are you going to keep them in the dark about Brimir?"

"I raised them alone, so they had no reason to know of their father." She replied.

"Don't you see how dangerous of a situation this is?!" He replied with a voice of concern. "Because of this, they can be easily manipulated by him. All he would have to tell them is that you tried to kill him, and they might turn on you!"

"I'm well aware." She replied. "I shall tell them before we depart."

"Why do I have to deal with people like this?" Saito thought to himself.

"I know I can be difficult to work with, but it is unintentional." She said, walking away.

"How the hell..?" Saito said to himself, exhausted and irritated.

He decided not to dwell on it, and instead went to his room, where Louise was playing with their kids.

"I hope we can win." He said to her, sitting down and lifting his son into the air.

"We can. Everyone is strong." She replied. "I won't lie and say I'm not nervous, but I think we can do it."

"It's nice to know at least one of us is confident." Saito replied.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door. When Louise opened it, Shion stood in front of her holding a pillow and a blanket with a tired and annoyed expression on her face. Louise was about to ask what was wrong, but she then heard the loud laughing of Alex and his new best friend Olivière in her room.

Louise immediately let her in, feeling pity for her. Shion laid on a large couch in the room and instantly fell asleep. Riza and Gabriel had already fallen asleep by this time, so the room was silent.

"We should probably sleep too." Saito said.

"Yeah." Louise said, rather sadly.

"We'll be okay." Saito said, holding her close to him. "Just relax."

He spoke bravely, but in truth, he was terrified of what was to come. He had already attempted to fight Sasha and was quickly defeated. He knew that Mariel was at least on par with her, so someone who could defeat both of them was nothing short of a monster. Despite his constant fear, soon after Louise fell asleep, he also drifted into unconsciousness.

Soon, he woke up in front of the sea serpent, Lífþrasir. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, she cut him off.

"There is not much time!" She said.

"Not much..? What do you mean?" Saito asked.

"He is coming for me! For all of us beasts!" She said.

"What am I supposed to do?!" Saito asked.

But before she could answer, she simply vanished into thin air. Saito was confused and shocked. He didn't know how to process what happened. As he sat on the beach, wondering what she meant, he suddenly woke up the next morning. It was still dark outside, but Shion was already awake, polishing her sword.

"Good morning, Saito." She said quietly, trying not to wake Louise and her kids.

"Good morning." Saito replied.

"You were fretting in your sleep." She said. "Care to tell me what's wrong?"

"I just...had a strange nightmare." He replied.

"Your dreams could very well be important to what we will be doing today." She said, looking down at her blade. "If you have something important to say, I suggest you tell everyone."

"I know..." Saito replied. "Is Alex awake?"

"He is sitting on the roof. He said he wanted fresh air." She replied.

"And Sasha?" He continued.

"She is wither her sons being...a mother, for lack of a better phrase." She replied.

"I see. When exactly do we leave?" He asked.

"In two hours. That is why I am allowing Louise to rest." She replied.

"Thanks." Saito said. "Will you be able to fight with those wings on your back?:

"Yes. I have control over them." She replied. "I simply do not know the intricacies of flight, so it's not easy for me yet."

"As long as you're comfortable, I guess." He said.

He sighed and pulled Derf out of his scabbard. Although he had been awake for this entire time, he hadn't felt inclined to give any input, so he remained silent.

"You're awfully reserved aren't you?" Saito asked.

"Given the circumstances, I'm not exactly in the talkative mood." Derf replied.

"Right..." Saito said. "Have you ever...seen his power?"

"Brimir? Oh yeah." Derf replied. "None of you stand a chance."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy." Saito replied. "How much power can one person have?"

"He has roughly 5 times the reserve of magic that Sasha does." Derf replied.

"Five...times?" Saito said in disbelief. "That's not possible."

"Listen." Derf said. "What makes Brimir powerful is not just his great amount of power. It's how efficiently he uses it. When he attacks, all energy he puts to use is used perfectly with no waste."

"That wouldn't be so much of a problem if he didnt have so much power." Saito said.

"Let me tell you something." Derf said. "Louise has more magic available for use than Sasha does."

"What? But Sasha is so much stronger." Saito replied.

"Sasha has near perfect control of her magic and body." Derf replied. "Notice that she has never used magic in battle. It's not because she can't, it's because she instead chooses to use that magic to strengthen her body during a fight."

"Is that why she's so strong and fast?" Saito asked.

"Yes. She finds no use in conjuring fire or water to aide her in battle." Derd replied. "She always believed that a strong body will triumph over any magic. Because she has such good control over her magic, she is able to infuse every little part of her body with magic and control it at will. Her philosophy has proven true throughout the years. Her durability, strength, speed. Everything about her body is almost perfect."

"So she and Mariel should be able to defeat Brimir shouldn't they?" Saito asked with slight hope in his voice.

"Unfortunately not." Derf said. "You see, while Sasha has 'near' perfect control over her body and magic, Brimir has perfect control over both his body and his magic. Even if he is one percent more efficient, that one percent will make a drastic change in fighting capabilities. He can use it to strengthen his body and conjure various techniques simultaneously."

"Why does the final boss always have to be like this?" Saito said to himself.

"If this is the final boss, then that should give you the courage to keep moving forward." Derf said. "Just imagine a peaceful life with your family once you end this adventure. That alone should fuel you to keep going."

"You're right..." Saito said. "I'm not going to say I'm not frightened though."

"You should be." Derf said.

"There's something else as well." Saito said.

Shion's ears twitched when she heard him say this. However, just as he was about to explain, Louise awoke in their bed. She rubbed her eyes, still feeling very tired.

"Good morning." She said sleepily.

"Good morning, Louise." Saito and Shion said at once.

"Im going to get ready." She said, slowly walking to the bathroom.

When she was finally out of sight, Derf popped back out of his scabbard.

"What were you going to tell me, Saito?" Derf whispered.

"Last night, I lost contact with Lífþrasir." Saito whispered.

"What? What do you mean?" Derf asked.

"She warned me of something." Saito said. "She said he's coming for her and her siblings, then she just disappeared."

"Does this mean Brimir wants to use their power again?" Derf asked with fear in his voice.

"Most likely." Saito said.

"We need to tell everyone right now." Derf said.

"I'll tell everyone when we gather to leave." Saito replied.

And so, Saito waited for everyone to get ready. While they prepared, he hopped on Soren's back with Tempus following and traveled to Germania, where he left his kids with Augusta. Oddly, both gods chose to stay and watch over the children, which Saito was not against at all. He kissed each of his kids' cheeks before going back to his own palace. Augusta was confused as to why she had to look after them, but was happy to do Saito a favor.

By the time he returned, everyone had prepared to leave. Over their clothes, they all wore the same kind of segmented armor. It wasn't meant to necessarily stop attacks, but more to shield them from any debris that might hit them.

"We are prepared to depart." Vittorio said.

"Alright." Saito said, taking a deep breath. "Sasha, lead the way."

She nodded and began to walk out of the palace. All of them were scared, including Sasha, but she tried her best not to show it. All of them were silent, thinking about the possibility of their deaths. Despite their fear, however, they marched forward with confidence, ready to meet their enemy again.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! Sorry for not posting for the past day or two. I decided to take a small break since I was getting a little fatigued. Anyway, I'll go back to normal posting now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	62. Chapter 62: Despair

**Chapter 62: Despair**

After a few hours of traveling in silence, Saito's group of friends finally arrived at the entrance to the Elf Kingdom in Gallia. Before going through it, they decided to take a break, knowing that they may be attacked upon entering the kingdom.

"How do you feel, Saito?" Sasha asked.

"I'd feel better if those two dragons were with us." He replied. "How about you?"

"Terrified." She said.

"Listen, Sasha. I need to tell you something." Saito said. "Last night, I spoke to Lífþrasir."

"Fascinating." She replied.

"That's not all." He continued. "She told me that he was coming for her and her siblings, then she disappeared."

"What?" Sasha said, looking slightly alarmed.

"I don't know what happened to her." Saito replied. "She may have been captured."

"If he adds their power to his own..." She said to herself. "We have to find him quickly."

"We should leave now, then." Mariel said as she had been listening to their conversation.

"Very well." Sasha said. "Tell everyone to get ready."

Within a few minutes, everyone was on their feet, prepared to depart. When everyone was ready, Sasha opened the gate to the kingdom. They all walked through the bright ovular portal.

When their eyes adjusted, they widened with shock at the sight that greeted them. Most of the forest was flattened. What few trees were left standing were on fire. The once beautiful cities that floated on lakes were nothing more than smoldering rubble. The sky was red as the light from the fires reflected on the smoke that filled the atmosphere.

"What happened here..." Olivière asked himself.

"Your father happened..." Mariel said, her emerald eyes reflecting the blaze in front of her.

"I don't sense anyone." Sasha said. "It is safe for now."

They walked down towards one of the towns. The smell of smoke filled their noses, making them burn. It was eerily silent, with no noise from anyone or anything.

"This is strange." Saito said.

"What is it Saito?" Derf asked.

"There's no one here..." He replied, using his eyes to find anyone.

He looked throughout the city, but it was completely empty. They kept walking through each of the cities, but found no clues. There were no bodies, no signs that anyone may have died other than the burning buildings. As they kept walking, Saito's eyes finally picked up several weak sources of magic far away.

"There are some people in that direction." He said, pointing in the direction he saw the magic.

"How many?" Sasha asked.

"A few dozen." Saito replied.

"Let's go, then." Vittorio said. "Perhaps they know what happened."

After a few minutes, they arrived at the place where the magic was originating from. With her magic, Louise could see that it was a bunker hidden several meters underground.

"This is where we left your family." Sasha said to Saito. "If there are still people down there, then they may have survived."

"How are we supposed to get down there?" Louise asked.

"I have hidden a stairwell nearby with magic. I'll remove its concealment, then we can enter." Mariel said.

She spoke a few words in her Elfish tongue and soon, just as she had expected, a staircase seemed to be created from the ground. Following Mariel, they all started walking down its stone steps. They walked at a normal pace, not knowing what to expect at the bottom.

When they reached the bottom, there was a stone door which led into the room that Saito's family should have been. When they opened it, they found hundreds of people crowding a massive room. Many were injured, with those who were well enough attempting to heal the wounded.

Unfortunately, there were also several bags laid in neat rows across the floor, which Saito immediately knew contained dead individuals. When people noticed Sasha and Mariel had arrived, their faces expressed both relief and anger.

"Where were they..?" Some people muttered under their breaths.

"We're saved!" Others exclaimed.

"How many are wounded?" Sasha asked in a voice that wasn't loud, but echoed clearly throughout the room.

"About 250 injured. 81 still healthy." A dwarfish man said.

"So little...what happened to everyone?" Mariel asked.

"A human came and destroyed everything." One of the elfish women painfully recounted. "They had no intention of letting anyone live, be it women, children, or men. We few managed to escape whilst they slaughtered everyone else.."

"Why is there no one in the city?" Sasha asked, feeling sorry for the woman, but choosing to show no emotion.

"While we were fleeing, we saw several winged...creatures taking away the dead." She said.

"Winged creatures? What did they look like?" Mariel asked.

"Bony. Decomposed. Horrid." The woman replied.

"What could those be?" Saito asked Mariel.

"I...do not know." She said. "There are many winged creatures in the world, although I know none that fit that exact description."

"More importantly at the moment, three humans were left in this bunker." Sasha said to the woman. "I have no doubt that you know of their location."

"The humans?" The woman asked, having trouble remembering.

"Yes, two females and one male. This boy's family." Sasha said, pointing at Saito.

She stared at Saito for several moments, taking in his features. Obviously, his eyes wouldn't be able to identify him as a member of their family, but his facial features made him look quite a lot like his sister.

"Oh...yes, I have seen them." The woman said.

"Please lead me to them." Saito said, feeling relieved.

As they walked through the crowd of injured and healthy people of various species, Saito and Alex felt uncomfortable, as they were being stared at. Shion, too, was attracting attention due to her status as half human. However, because of the four wings that protruded from her back, people seemed to dismiss her humanity.

For several minutes, Saito could feel several pairs of eyes staring at him, making his magic become slightly unsettled. Many of the people there, especially the elves, looked at him with faces of contempt and, rather strangely, satisfaction.

As they followed the woman, Sasha, her sons, and Louise went a separate way in order to find out more information about the events that had transpired.

"Saito..." Alex whispered.

"Yeah, I know. They don't like us very much." Saito replied.

"Its been 6000 years. How much of a grudge can you have?" He said, gripping his dagger.

"Most of these people were probably children when it happened." Saito replied. "They're scarred."

"But elves live for so long. They'll practically be hating us forever." Alex said, looking around at the crowd.

"Well, we'll have to prove them wrong, won't we?" Saito said, although even he was on his guard. "We're good people. We can show them that humans are capable of good."

"You better be right." Alex said.

After a few more minutes, they reached an area which seemed to be designated as the "hospital" of the room. Several makeshift tents covered groups of injured people who were being healed by doctors.

As they kept walking, Saito could hear people murmuring when they saw him and Alex. Some even snickered when they saw them, but made sure to avoid making eye contact with them.

"Filthy human and his half breed mutt." He heard a man say quietly.

"Don't say that! If he gets mad, he could kill us all!" He heard a woman whisper.

"Like a human could kill one of us alone." He replied.

"That's no normal human." She replied. "Word has it he single-handedly won a war in the human world. Some say he even sparred with Sasha."

"Rumors are just that. Rumors. Either way, as a human, he deserves what's coming to him." The man replied.

"No one deserves that. Human or not..." The woman replied silently.

Saito wondered for several moments what they meant. He at first assumed that they intended to try and kill him, in which case he wasn't afraid. After a few moments, the woman stopped walking and pointed in a direction.

"Over there. Your family is there." She said before quickly walking away.

"Where are they?" Saito said to himself, looking straight ahead but seeing no one but various other species of people.

"Maybe that lady mistook them for some other people." Alex replied.

However, Saito wasn't listening. His eyes had become transfixed by three bags on the ground in front of him. Alex looked down at the bags as well and saw that they were specially marked in red writing.

"Mother, what does that writing say?" Alex asked.

"It says...human..." Mariel said, already feeling the pressure coming from Saito.

He slowly knelt down and placed his hand on one of the bags. Slowly, he began to unzip it. Alex began to back away, not wanting to be next to Saito with his magic so unsettled. When it was finally unzipped, Saito's eyes widened as he saw the face of his father devoid of color or temperature.

Quickly, he opened the other bags, where he saw the faces of his mother and his sister which he held so dear. His face was blank, staring into nothingness. Alex stared at him, shielding Shion in case of any sort of outburst.

Suddenly, everyone in the room felt as if their whole bodies were forced into the ground, like gravity in the room had spontaneously increased. The air began to chill and they began to feel like they were short of breath.

Elsewhere in the room, Sasha was speaking to a soldier who survived the attack. He was the only soldier that had survived the attack, as every other one had been killed.

"What happened to the other council members?" Sasha asked.

"I fell unconscious before I could see what happened to them." He said. "They fought, but seeing as they are nowhere to be found, I fear they suffered the same fate."

"I see. I will see to live up to their legacy and fight with as much bravery as they did." She replied. "I'm sorry for not being here earlie-"

She was suddenly unable to speak as she felt like she was going to suffocate. Her body felt heavy and weak, a feeling she didn't recognize. She immediately felt the air become cold, making her hair stand on end. Her sons and Louise too felt the same strange feeling.

"What happened?" Bartholomew asked.

"Find Saito." Sasha said, slowly getting up and making her way towards the epicenter of the intense pressure.

The closer she got, the worse the feeling became until finally, she saw Saito kneeling on the ground. She wondered what could have triggered this reaction out of him. However, this curiosity soon disappeared when she saw the bodies that he knelt over with tears flowing down his still blank face.

Her own heart ached when she realized she failed to keep them alive, although she briefly wondered how they died if she left them in such a secure place. Braving the feeling that was already causing several people to fall unconscious, Louise crawled towards him, unable to stay on her feet.

After a great deal of effort, she managed to get close enough to him to wrap her arms around him. The ground around him began to crack and disintegrate as hi magic flowed into it. With the last bit of her strength, she finally managed to wrap her arms around him.

For several moments, nothing changed. Eventually, after about a minute, the feeling they had slowly disappeared. When it was gone, the room was silent. Saito looked to be in a state of shock. Just before Louise was going to talk to him, the orange color in his eyes and tail disappeared, leaving them pitch black. His body began to cool rapidly, making Louise worried. Immediately afterward, he fell asleep, his now black eyes still flowing with tears. Sasha, still catching her breath, looked at the sleeping boy, feeling very sad for him.

"He is dangerous, Mother." Vittorio said. "His powers are great."

"He has a good heart." She replied. "Do not speak ill of him."

"If someone like him were to be twisted, we could all be killed!" He whispered into his mother's ear. "Don't you see what just happened? That's a power even I cannot handle alone."

"Speak nothing more of it." Sasha said, making sure Louise didn't hear what was being said.

"What should we do?" Alex asked.

"We should do nothing until he regains his consciousness." She said. "Until then, help anyone who needs care. Allow him to rest."

Louise refused to move from her position, holding his head in her lap and stroking his long hair. Tears flowed from her eyes as well, both from the loss of her new family, and from the pain her husband felt from it.

"Little sister, his tail..." Mariel said to Sasha, noticing that the formerly glowing orange appendage was now pitch black.

"I know." Sasha said. "I don't know what happened, but it is certainly related to what he just felt."

"I hope he's okay." Alex said, staring at his unconscious friend.

"Yes, I do as well." Sasha replied, turning away to leave Saito in the care of his ailing wife.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! Surprise! They're dead! Lol.**

 **Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I had some things to deal with in my boring life, so I had to put it off for a while. I hope you guys understand. Anyway, I hope you also enjoyed the chapter. See you next time!**


	63. Chapter 63: de la Forêt

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! Wow, the last chapter was surprisingly well received. Thanks a lot for you support!**

 **Kotano**

 **Hello Kotano-chaaaan! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. As for the question "can they be revived?", we'll have to wait and see. No spoilers :) Also, I can see you're enjoying the story so far, so I'll try to be more consistent in posting. I hope you keep liking it! Feel free to tell me what you'd like to see in a PM or review :)**

 **Chapter 63: de la For** **ê** **t**

Saito's eyes cracked open. He was surrounded by nothingness and felt very cold. He then remembered how much he had lost. His heart began to ache and his eyes filled with tears. For several minutes, he cried alone with no one to comfort him.

"Why did this happen?" He said to himself. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have come back. I should have stayed with them."

"Are you that weak?" A voice in the dark said.

"Yes, I am." Saito said.

"You come here for your love, yet you so easily wish you hadn't." The voice said.

"Louise..." Saito said to himself. "I love her. But I lost my family because I came back. My sister. I loved her so much...and now she's gone because of me."

"Death happens. We humans aren't always ready for it." The voice said.

"Who are you anyway?" Saito asked. "You said 'we', so are you human?"

"I'm someone who lost the person they loved as well." The voice said after a pause.

"So you lost your lover, huh?" Saito said. "My commiserations on your loss. But how do I know to trust you anyway?"

"You don't." The voice replied.

"How reassuring." Saito said. "I don't have anyone to ask for help anymore. Those two beasts I used to talk to are gone now, so I guess you're it."

"I will not speak to you here often. Perhaps this will be the only time." The voice said. "Although if things go well, I may be able to speak with you in the future."

At this time, Saito saw a thin line of light in the space above him.

"I'm about to wake up." Saito said.

"It seems so." The voice said. "I will leave you with a parting gift of sorts. You will need it quite soon."

As the voice said this, a hand appeared in front of him and reached into his chest, causing it to be in immense pain. After a few minutes, the hand finally disappeared, leaving Saito on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Feel free to thank me at some point." The voice said.

"What did you do?" Saito asked.

"The rest of your magic should be available for use. I'm surprised you can use this magic of the gods, but I suppose it means choosing you was the right decision." The voice said. "I also added a special gift of my own. In return, I'll borrow your power a little."

"You can use the gods' power?" Saito asked.

"I can do, and have done, many things. Good and bad. I regret...so much." The voice said, becoming rather emotional.

"How ominous. Why are you helping me?" Saito asked.

"I assure you, this benefits me as well." The voice said. "We have...common interests, so to speak."

"So you are not an ally..." Saito said.

"Well...that depends on whether you choose to trust my word." The voice said. "I have no intention of harming you or your friends, so I suppose we are allies as of now."

"I suppose I can thank you for now, then." Saito replied.

"Fight well, Hiraga Saito." The voice said, fading away.

Saito's eyes shot open. Staring back down at him were his wife's pink eyes, slightly red from shedding tears. He lifted his hand a laid it on her cheek, making her feel relief and sadness at the same time.

He chose not say anything, and instead got up to look at his deceased family members. Although he felt the same grief as he did before, it was also mixed with anger and hatred.

"How did they die?" He asked no one in particular.

"They...attempted to direct some people to this place." One of the elf m said hesitantly. "However, an explosion nearby showered them with debris, some of which damaged their organs. We could not save them."

"Did you try to save them at all?" Saito asked, his magic, now extremely dark in color, starting to drip from his body.

"We...did." The man said.

"Did you show them the same amount of attention you showed your own people?" He asked, his calm voice piercing the man's heart.

"No...we did not." The man said fearfully.

Saito said nothing afterwards. He walked to a far corner of a room and sat down alone. Louise was going to follow him, wanting to comfort him, but Sasha stopped her before she could.

"He needs to be alone. Leave him be." She said.

She was hesitant, but chose to listen to her. Saito sat alone, looking at his tail, now entirely black. It seemed like it absorbed all light that touched it, making it look like an endless void of darkness.

"What happened?" Saito asked himself.

"Your tail and eyes turned black just before you fell asleep." Derf said from his scabbard. "I...I'm sorry about your family."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Saito replied in an unusually monotone voice. "This isn't the time to mourn them. I can do that once everything is over. More importantly, why am I like this?"

"I don't know." Derf said. "Something has changed within you though. You seem...like a different person."

"I feel dead inside." Saito said, staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not surprised after what you've just been through." Derf replied.

"It will pass eventually." He said. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A few hours." Derf replied.

"That's too long. We have to leave." He said, standing up rather shakily.

"Take it easy, Saito." Derf said. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"I'm fi-" Saito began to say, but was cut short.

His head throbbed with immense pain, making fall back onto the ground. His vision blurred before suddenly turning to darkness. Briefly, his vision returned. Although it was still blurry, he could tell that his surroundings were different.

It seemed as if something was moving through a hot and barren land very quickly, but just as quickly as this vision returned to him, it disappeared again. For several seconds, he saw nothing but darkness until finally, his vision returned to him in its entirety.

He was back in the room filled with the wounded, sitting on the ground holding his still slightly throbbing head with his hands. He looked around him, still in a daze. No one had noticed this episode of his, so he decided to try and act normal.

"Partner, what was that?" Derf asked.

"Just a headache. It's...probably stress related." Saito replied, walking around the room to find his friends.

"I wasn't born yesterday, Saito." Derf said.

"I'll keep that in mind." Saito replied, catching sight of Sasha. "But as for now, I'd like you to trust me."

When Sasha noticed him, Saito could immediately see the pained expression the briefly visited her face. Soon though, her face returned to normal as she quickly composed herself.

"I failed to protect them. I am sorry." She said, bowing towards him

This apologetic gesture of respect seemed to bother the other races around him, which were revolted by the sight of their most revered hero bowing towards a mere human. She, however, did not care, as she felt anguish deep in her heart for her failure.

"It's okay." Saito replied, giving her a hug. "You did your best to help them. You shouldn't apologize for that."

Although she was surprised that he hugged her, it offered her some relief from the grief she felt. Hugging her also seemed to offer him some comfort. When he finally pulled away from her, she managed to smile ever so slightly, which made him feel even better.

"You seem different, Saito." She said.

"You're the second person who has told me that in the past five minutes." Saito sighed.

Sasha couldn't quite understand what exactly was different about him, but he somehow seemed more appealing. His magic didn't seem very different compared to before, although it was certainly unsettled and more imposing than before.

Before she could ask him if anything happened to him while he was unconscious, Louise held Saito's hand, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Seeing her made him feel somewhat happy, although he could tell that she had been sobbing.

"I'm fine." He said. "I promise."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "You changed a little."

"Again?" Saito thought to himself.

He then remembered that whoever he met in his sleep gave him a "gift" that would borrow his strength, although he wasn't entirely sure what this gift may be.

"I assure you, I'm the same person." He said.

Just as he said this, the same sensation from earlier fell upon him. His head felt like it was splitting in half and his vision blurred into darkness. When it came back, he saw the same barren landscape from before. It looked hot, as if the very ground was smoldering. The air was hazy with steam and in front of him, he saw a silhouette which seemed to be some sort of mountain.

Again, the pain in his head disappeared and his vision returned to normal. When he opened his eyes, all of his friends were standing over him, looking worried. He quickly got up, feeling completely normal again.

"What's wrong, Saito?" Louise asked with concern.

"I...don't know. I feel fine now though." He said.

"You seem to have returned to normal...for the most part." Mariel said.

He didn't quite understand what she meant. He then noticed that his tail had returned to its orange glow. It glowed more brightly than before and it emitted more heat than it previously did. His eyes had mostly returned to their normal state too, although they had now attained a halo on the edge of their irises. It was black and blue, but was very thin, not being visible from far away.

"I'm fine. We need to go and find Brimir soon though." He said. "With so many powerful people here, he will no doubt try to kill us all at once."

"We should bury your family first..." Alex said.

"Bury them here." Saito said. "I want the people here to know that humans died trying to help them."

"Very well, but I will not bury them until there is no threat to their graves." Sasha said.

"If that's all settled, we must leave immediately." Vittorio said, having listened to the conversation in silence.

"Alright, let's go." Sasha said. "Saito, Louise, you should say goodbye to your family. We will wait for you outside."

"Alright." Louise said.

Once they were gone, Saito and Louise knelt down in front of the bodies of their family. Saito began to pray, as he was still Japanese and it was in his culture to do so. Louise, too, gave them her blessings to safely pass into the afterlife.

When they were finished, they stood up and looked down at them one last time before finally turning away to join the rest of their friends.

"I promise, I'll make sure he pays for doing this to you." Saito thought, walking away.

Outside, Vittorio pulled his mother and aunt aside to discuss with them Saito's rather unpredictable nature.

"Mother, you have seen that something is off about the boy." He said.

"I told you not to speak of it any more." Sasha said.

"He is a danger to all of us." He said. "He has become one with Gandalfr. His power eclipses the void mage. He is from another world. Worst of all, he possesses the magic of the gods. He is not safe to be around."

"Vittorio, he is a good person." Mariel said.

"He very well may be. I do not dispute that." He replied. "But his capacity for growth is dangerous. He is also young. He is easy to corrupt if someone powerful wishes to use him."

"I am well aware of his weaknesses, Vittorio." Sasha said. "That is why I am here. To protect anyone from taking advantage of him or his wife."

"If they end up being a threat to you, myself, or my brothers, I will not hesitate to k-" He started to say before seeing the look in his mother's eyes.

She seemed incredibly fierce, something which he had never seen in her before. Mariel patted his shoulder, which he understood as a signal to end the discussion on the subject.

At this moment, Saito and Louise walked outside from the underground lair. Although they were still in a considerable amount of pain from their loss, they seemed determined to find the person who hurt them so badly.

"We're ready." They both said at once.

"Where do we go next?" Alex asked.

"We need better weapons." Sasha said. "My axe was broken by Brimir."

"I can create weapons if my lab is still in order." Mariel said.

Saito turned his head to look at the mountain where her lab resided. His used his eyes to see if there was any damage to her lab's entrance. He noticed that using his eyes caused them no strain, which was odd since they had always, albeit very slightly, made his eyes hurt after using them too often.

However, these thoughts left his mind as he noticed that someone was inside the labyrinth of hallways and rooms that was Mariel's mountain.

"Someone is in there." Saito said.

They all looked at him, waiting for him to give them more information.

"It's someone powerful." He continued. "They aren't injured either."

"It could be him." Louise said.

"Let's go." Mariel said. "Be careful. Saito, with your eyes, you will have to lead the way."

"Fine." Saito said, starting to run towards the mountain.

He was much faster than before, feeling more agile and light on his feet. Sadly, he had no time to revel in his newfound speed. Very quickly, they arrived at the mountain's entrance. They slowly followed Saito inside. There were no torches lit in the hallways, so they're only source of light was his tail. Eventually, they reached the door to the room where the person was.

After pulling out Derf from his scabbard, he slowly opened the door and walked inside. When the light from his tail hit the person's sleeping face, Mariel breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just Aigle." She said. "Of course she would survive this."

"Wake up." Sasha said quietly, pushing Aigle off of her chair.

When she woke up, the first thing she saw was Saito's demonic looking eyes and tail in the dark, causing fear to shoot through her body. However, Mariel quickly cast a spell, allowing all of the torches in the compound to reignite. Aigle was still frightened of Saito, but chose to ignore it since Mariel and Sasha seemed to be in a good relationship with him.

"It's good to see you Aigle." Sasha said.

In her normal childish nature, Aigle jumped on Sasha, hugging her tightly.

"You really are alive!" She said, rubbing her cheeks on Sasha's.

"Thanks to these two, yes." Sasha said, pointing at Louise and Saito.

"Ah yes. I'm not sure we're familiar." Aigle said.

"My name is Saito." He said. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"I am his wife, Louise." Louise said. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Oh. Such polite kids." Aigle said, no longer afraid of Saito. "I am Aigle, Sasha's favorite doctor."

Her eyes soon caught sight of Alex, who she noticed was missing an arm, making her feel uncomfortable. She then noticed that Shion, who had been very quiet for the entire trip, had one of her eyes scarred.

"I...can help repair you two..." She said. "With Mariel's equipment, I could give you a new arm. Your eye...might have to be replaced if it's too damaged."

"Very well, but not at the moment." Mariel said. "Aigle, tell us what happened here."

"I was underground when the attack began." She said. "It felt like an earthquake, so I immediately went to the surface. Everything was already flattened. I hid behind some rubble, observing everything that happened. Three men made sure to kill every person in sight. One of them was unmistakably that heathen Brimir. But the other two...I do not know."

"It's not just Brimir?" Sasha said.

"No. There were two other men with him, but I could not see their faces." She replied. "Whoever they were, they were capable of killing even our strongest of soldiers."

"Where are the bodies?" Saito asked.

"They were carried away by a swarm of...things." She said.

"What things?" Sasha said.

"I never got a close look at their bodies to be sure, but they seemed to be Anioły." She said gloomily.

"That can't be right...there's no way the Anioły would help that demon." Mariel said.

"It was just a guess. I cannot be sure until I get a closer look." Aigle replied.

Everyone remained silent as they attempted to think of any possibilities, but their minds came up blank despite their best efforts.

"You can brainstorm later. You two, come with me." Aigle said, referring to Alex and Shion.

They followed her to a room within the mountain. It looked like what Saito would have called a modern hospital room, although it had several magical items rather than advanced equipment.

"Which of you should I work on first?" She asked them.

"Help Alex first." Shion said quietly.

"Very well." Aigle said.

She walked out of the room for a few minutes before coming back with a massive glass container filled with some kind of white paste. She then left and came back again, this time with what seemed like a massive cement block with a hole in its top. On its sides were a pair of clamps.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"A mold." Aigle said.

"What's the white stuff?" He asked.

"Ah, a special material I made. It can mimic the components of a living organism, although I still cannot create complex organs." She said. "Limbs will be easy to create though."

"How long will it take?" Alex asked.

"To create a functional arm, only about an hour. If you want it to be aesthetically pleasing, perhaps a few more." She replied. "I will have to take a sample of your blood so that it is compatible with your body."

"I just need an arm that functions for now." Alex said.

"Very well. I will improve it at a later time." She said, pouring the white liquid into the mold. She cut Alex's arm slightly to draw blood, then dropped it into the mold as well.

She sealed the top and the placed her hands on it. Using her magic, she began to heat the material inside the mold. At the same time, the clamps on the side of the mold began to compress it, applying a vast amount of pressure to the material inside.

For nearly an hour, she remained perfectly still with her eyes closed while her hands remained on the container. Eventually, her eyes finally opened and the clamps finally released themselves, causing a loud hissing sound.

"Lay on that metal table there." She said to Alex while she pulled what looked like a pure white arm out of the mold.

He laid down, removing his shirt so that his arm was easier to access. She walked towards him with the newly manufactured appendage and laid it next to him. She then applied a liquid to the area on his body that it would attach to.

"What's that?" He asked.

"This arm I made will bond to your body." She said. "This liquid is simply to disinfect the area."

"Will it be painful?" He asked.

"Very painful." She replied. "After all, this new arm will have to fuse with the nerves in your body."

He didn't quite understand what she meant, but closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As the new arm made contact with his body, a hissing sound could be heard as it melded with his skin, bone, and muscle.

It was excruciatingly painful for him, but he managed not to scream at the top of his breath. His ordeal lasted for several minutes, but eventually, the pain stopped and he could feel fingers on his left side again. Aigle wrapped the arm in bandages, then sat back and sighed.

"That's that. I suggest you don't strain it too much." She said. "Let your blood flow through it for a while."

"Thank you, Ms. Aigle." He said. "How will you fix Shion's eye?"

"Honestly, that sort of work could take days." Aigle replied. "It may be easier to replace it, but I have no access to spare eyes."

"I can manage with one." Shion said. "Alex can cover me when we fight."

"If that's what you want, then it can wait." Aigle said. "I see that your wings have grown back. They're quite beautiful. Silver wings like yours don't occur often."

"They are not particularly useful yet. I cannot fly." Shion replied.

"You will learn with time." Aigle said. "As for now, let's go back to your friends."

When they finally returned, everyone was resting as they waited. Everyone but Saito, who was wide awake.

"Nice arm." He said.

"Thanks. I need to break it in though." Alex said, stretching his new appendage.

As Saito was about to reply, he saw felt another presence in the surrounding area. Someone else had arrived in the vicinity of the mountain. Just as he was about to tell everyone, they all felt an explosion towards its entrance.

Everyone immediately got up and rushed towards the explosion. Because she was not adept at fighting, they had Aigle hide in the mountain. When they reached the massive hole that the explosion had caused, they saw the shadow of a man hidden by smoke.

"You're going to break in that arm of yours sooner than you thought, huh?" Saito said to Alex.

"Looks like it." Alex said.

However, when the smoke cleared, the person that stood there did not have the blonde hair of Brimir. Instead, there was a young looking, pale skinned man with waist length, pitch black hair. He was taller than Saito by about three inches and had bright, light gray eyes.

He was wearing a black, hoodless, sleeveless cloak that stretched down to his ankles, concealing the rest of his body. In his hands were two, fairly long daggers, about one and a half feet in length.

"Who the hell is that?" Alex asked.

"I...don't know." Saito said.

"Be careful." Louise said. "I don't feel very much magic coming from him."

The three of them turned to ask Sasha about what she thought was the best decision, but she seemed more concerned with her elder sister, who seemed to have lost her composure for some reason.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"That man..." Olivièr said, seemingly frustrated by the situation.

"Yeah...that's him." Bartholomew confirmed for his brother.

"Who is it?" Alex said.

"Our uncle, aunt Mariel's husband, and your father." Vittorio said.

"Maximilien de la Forêt."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry for the late chapter guys (and girls). Yeah, yeah, I know hearing that is getting old, so I won't even try to explain this time. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. It was rather long now that I look back on it, but I hope you can withstand it. Tell me what you think of it in a review or PM. Thanks! See you next time!**


	64. Chapter 64: Forêt's Defeat

**Chapter 64: For êt's Defeat**

"Max..." Mariel said silently, in disbelief.

"My dad is dead..." Alex said, looking back at the man who they claimed was his father.

"Yes, he is." Vittorio said, pulling two sickles from under his cloak.

"How is this possible?" Mariel said.

"This has to be Brimir's doing." Sasha replied, holding a new axe she had acquired in the mountain. "That is not Max. It's simply a soulless impostor of him."

"What are his strengths?" Saito asked, pulling Derf from his scabbard.

"He has a mastery of all human magic." Vittorio said. "However, he is also capable of manipulating living things, himself included."

"Manipulate them how?" Louise asked.

"In every way possible. From manipulating their movements to manipulating their blood and bone composition." Bartholomew replied. "It is a type of elf magic he developed. We are at a disadvantage fighting him in the woods here."

"We have no way of traveling somewhere with no life." Sasha said. "Even if we did, we still have his normal magic to deal with. Regardless, he is weaker than Brimir. We can fight him and win. Just be wary of your surroundings."

"Alex, Mariel, maybe you should stay out of this one." Louise said.

"The girl is right." Olivièr said. "Aunt Mariel is very clearly not taking this well."

"I can fight." Mariel said.

"Are you sure, sister?" Sasha asked.

"He is dead. I will be okay." She replied.

"We shouldn't kill him." Saito said. "We need information. Capture him."

"That will prove difficult in this environment." Mariel said. "He will have to be deprived of all magic available to him."

"So we just have to attack him until he gets tired, right?" Alex asked.

"I suppose." Sasha said. "Just be careful."

"Are you not more powerful than he is?" Saito asked.

"I am, but his versatility makes him difficult to fight." She replied.

"Can these two beasts not assist us? They are gods, are they not?" Vittorio asked.

"This is a human problem which does not concern us." Tempus said. "We will only protect Saito, Louise, and their children since they have helped us both."

"Awfully selfish." Vittorio said. "Don't you realize they could die in this battle?"

"They will not die." Tempus said, walking back with Soren into the mountain. "I have foreseen it. However, I will assist in keeping the medical fairy within this mountain alive."

Vittorio was rather upset about this, but chose to ignore it for the time everyone knowing his powers, they all prepared to charge at him. His face was completely blank, although his eyes seemed to be locked on his wife's face. They decided to attack him at once from different angles, although they were aware it would most likely not work.

He did not move from where he stood in response to the coming threat. Their various weapons struck his body, but they soon realized that no damage was dealt to him. They retreated to a safe distance, where they were able to see that in the places on his head that they had landed their attacks, his skin had hardened.

"We won't be able to hurt him like this." Saito said.

"His reserves of magic are lesser than yours." Sasha said. "He prefers long ranged attacks, so keep pressuring him."

As they strategized, he pulled a bow from underneath his cloak. Putting his two daggers away, he then cut his own hand, drawing blood from it.

"What's he doing?" Alex asked.

"He's going to make an arrow from his own blood." Mariel said. "Do not let it cut you. He will be able to control you if his blood gets inside you."

"What the hell is wrong with you old types..." Alex said to himself, preparing to dodge any incoming attack.

As he said this, just as Mariel had told them, Max formed an arrow from his own blood and in an instant, shot it towards the group. However, he did not shoot it at anyone in particular, so they each had to dodge it to be safe.

As the arrow sped through the air, it suddenly turned towards Louise as she was still in midair, as it was still being controlled by Max. As she landed on a tree, she prepared to jump in another direction, but she found that she was stuck on it.

The tree had enveloped her foot, making it impossible to jump off. The arrow flew straight at her, threatening to pierce her heart. However, she managed to create a shield with her void magic before the arrow could reach her. It bought her a few moments to free her from the tree just before the arrow broke through the shield.

They all regrouped again to think of a strategy to beat him. However, Max gave them no time to plan, as the trees around them began to attempt to trap them. As they continuously had to keep jumping around to dodge the attacks, Sasha started to try and think of a way to beat him.

"Louise." She finally said, rather calmly. "Destroy the trees in the surrounding 5 kilometers."

"But everyone will be caught in the blast." Louise said, still dodging the incoming attacks.

"We will suffer minimal injuries. Nothing we cannot handle." Sasha said. "Just do it. He can only control living matter. If the trees are dead, he cannot use them."

"I understand." Louise said.

"How much time will it take to charge?" Shion asked, using her wings, which were incredibly durable, as shields for her body.

"No time. I can cast it now." Louise said. "Is everyone ready?"

"A little girl's power is not enough." Vittorio objected. "We all need to help."

"Just do as your mother asks." Mariel said.

"Everyone brace yourselves." Sasha said. "Louise, we're ready when you are."

"Right!" Louise replied, waiting for the right opportunity.

As she gracefully flowed through the air, she finally found herself facing the ground. Immediately, a ball of light shot from her finger. As soon as it touched the ground, it expanded into a massive explosion, blinding everyone.

The sound of trees snapping in the loud explosion deafened them. All of their skin burned, although Saito's simply felt extremely uncomfortable because of his already intense body heat. They felt the ground beneath them disappear as a crater formed from the explosion

After several seconds of turmoil, there was no more noise and the shining light had disappeared. As Sasha had predicted, although they were injured, the injuries were very minimal. They were dazed, but still capable of fighting.

More importantly, the surrounding trees were, for the most part, destroyed. When Saito's eyes opened, the landscape around them was barren, save for a few trees that were smoldering. He looked around to make sure everyone was okay before finally turning his attention to Max.

Max stood up, having been covered in rubble and debris. His cloak and part of his shirt had been burnt off, revealing some of his upper body. He wasn't particularly muscular, but was well toned. He had also been injured by the blast. A large piece of wood had pierced his side, causing him a great amount of pain, although his face didn't show it. The skin on his upper body was also severely burned, making it difficult for him to move.

"You did well to create a crater, Louise." Mariel said.

"I knew he could try to use the roots underground." Louise replied. "They've been destroyed."

"He should be easy to defeat now, right?" Shion asked, examining the singed feathers on her wings.

"Easy? No." Sasha said. "Easier, yes."

"He won't let us get close again." Alex said. "Even if we do manage to get closer, he'll just make sure we can't injure him."

"We can't remain fighting until he runs out of energy." Shion said. "That could take several hours, which is enough time for any of us to make a mistake."

"We need to find a way to catch him off guard..." Vittorio said.

"But the risk of being cut with his blood is too great." Alex said, realizing he was already bleeding from a small cut he received in the blast.

Saito stared at Alex's wound, making sure no foreign magic was inside of it. As he stared at it, he started to think of a way to counter the weapons Max made from his blood. Suddenly, he grabbed Alex's arm where it bled. He let the blood drip onto his bare hand, where it immediately began to vaporize.

"I have an idea..." Saito said. "Let him cut me with one of his weapons."

"What?! That's insane!" Louise said in objection.

"Trust me on this one." Saito said. "He may be strange, but when it comes down to it, he still has the blood of a normal human."

"What's your point?" Mariel asked.

"My body runs at a temperature much higher than a normal human's." Saito explained. "It'll take a little while, but given enough time, it'll be broken down by my body heat and I'll be in control again."

"Are you sure that'll even work?" Shion asked.

"I'm about seventy percent sure." He said with a smile, rubbing the back of his head.

"How are we even going to get him to hit you?" Olivière asked. "He could aim for any of us."

Saito thought for a few moments, realizing that this was definitely a flaw in his plan. But he eventually had an idea.

"Bartholomew, your power is what's keeping Albion in the sky, right?" Saito asked.

"Yes, it is." Bartholomew replied.

"I assume this means you are capable of manipulating gravity with your magic the." Saito said.

"I can attract or repel objects, yes." Bartholomew replied.

"Great!" Saito said. "When he launches his arrow, make sure it hits me."

"If you insist." He replied.

Now armed with a plan, they charged at him like they did before. This time, just before their attacks could land, he dodged them instead of hardening his body. He kept retreating to a safe distance until he was comfortable.

"He dodged this time..." Louise said.

"He must have used a large amount of magic to survive your explosion." Shion said.

"He's preparing another arrow." Sasha said, seeing the blood forming out of his hand.

Again, he fired an arrow at them, although it now moved much faster than before. Instead of dodging immediately, they all waited for it to change direction. As it was about fifty feet away, it suddenly changed direction and going, again, for Louise.

However, as they had planned, she dodged the arrow. Saito stood next to her, preparing to feel the pain of being shot by an arrow, a feeling he did not have fond memories of. Before the arrow could change direction, Bartholomew managed to slightly change its direction. Before Max could adjust it, it struck Saito in the leg.

Almost immediately, Saito could feel the blood working its way through his body like a snake's venom. After a few moments, he felt himself losing control of his body, although he was still conscious. Against his will, he jumped to Max's side. His movements weren't as fluid as normal, so he knew Max was not capable of using his body to it's fullest potential, giving his friends an easier fight.

As Saito was forced to fight his friends, Max launched several attacks from a distance. His attacks were extremely accurate, grazing even Sasha's body with the fire and ice magic he conjured. For several minutes they fought, with Saito's body beginning to get closer and closer to hurting his friends.

Shion, however, managed to get a decent attack to land on his abdomen, using her wings to allow her to maneuver when in the air. This caused Max to force Saito to retreat to his side. However, just as Saito had predicted, his opponents blood was beginning to break down and disappear.

As Max stood still, seemingly contemplating what he should do about his many enemies, he was suddenly stabbed through his back, causing him to cough up a large amount of blood. The blood he had infused within Saito's body had finally broken down, giving Saito control of his body and allowing him to strike Max through his chest. Using this opportunity, everyone else stabbed him through his legs and arms, restricting his movement.

With a large amount of blood being lost from his body, his body soon went limp. After only a few moments, his eyes closed as well. Everyone let go of their weapons, allowing him to fall onto the ground.

"Seal his wounds." Saito said, gripping the wound Shion had given him.

"I'm sorry." Shion said.

"It's fine. You protected yourself." Saito replied.

Quickly, they all removed their weapons from his body, then burned his wounds shut to stop the bleeding. Saito then gritted his teeth and allowed Mariel to burn his own wound shut. When he had recovered from the pain, they carried his body back into Mariel's compound. Inside, they restrained his body with metal wire, then tended to each other's wounds. Several hours later, everyone had settled down.

"You did well, Saito." Vittorio said.

"Thank you for helping me." Saito replied, laying on a chair while his wound healed.

Vittorio nodded, then walked away. Louise then sat next to him, rubbing his leg where the arrow pierced it.

"I hate arrows." He said with a smile on his face.

"Well, you'll heal, so don't feel too bad about it." She replied, laying next to him.

"How strong was that explosion you made?" He asked, remembering how uncomfortable it was.

"That was a weak one." She said, remembering how much power she used. "It was kind of rushed, so it was really weak."

"How terrifying." Saito thought to himself. "Why do I involve myself with these people?"

"You're the one who chose to come back. Don't complain." Sasha said, sitting next to the couple.

"I'm not even going to ask anymore." He thought to himself again.

"Then you'll never find out." Sasha replied. "Regardless, well done, Saito."

"So you really do read minds, eh?" Saito said.

"I do not read minds." Sasha said. "I am capable of doing it, but since I do not do it often, I would not say I read minds."

"Your logic is vexing..." Louise said. "I assume Mariel is with Max?"

"Yes. She still loves him after all these years." She replied, seemingly lost in thought. "I can't say I blame her..."

"That's odd..." Louise thought, noticing Sasha's change in mood when she spoke about it. "Does she still love..? No, there's no way."

"Nothing is impossible..." Sasha rather quietly said after a long pause.

Saito assumed she was referring to what he said, so he paid no attention to it. He observed everyone in the room, making sure there was nothing abnormal inside them. Sasha's sons were rather childishly debating who was the most useful in the battle. Alex helped Shion clean her wings, making sure every feather retained its metal like sheen. The rather peaceful mood was suddenly shattered, however, when Mariel ran into the room.

"He's about to wake up!" She said, panting.

Everyone immediately stood up and ran to the room where he was restrained. Mariel had Aigle begin healing his wounds, so he woke up sooner than he otherwise would have.

"That was fast." Saito said.

"I accelerated the healing process." Aigle said. "Although, his lungs were charred inside and pierced by your weapons. It wasn't easy to repair them."

As they spoke, Max began to stir in his sleep. Everyone held their weapons, in case he somehow managed to break free. After several moments, his gray eyes slowly cracked open. He looked around with his eyes, unable to move his body or his head.

"Where am I?" He suddenly said, in a voice strikingly similar to that of Alex, albeit very slightly deeper.

"He's speaking?" Saito asked. "Does this mean he's in control again?"

"Who the hell are you?!" He said, staring at Saito.

He tried to get up, but pain shot through his body with the slightest movement.

"Goddamn it! That hurts!" He exclaimed.

"You don't remember anything?" Sasha asked, making her presence known to him.

"Sasha?" He said, recognizing her face. "What happened?"

"Tell me what you remember." Sasha said.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember what he could.

"Last thing I remember was...letting those elves attack me." He said.

"I see. Forgive me, but I will have to keep you restrained until we're sure we can release you." Sasha said. "Once that happens, I'll explain everything."

"I trust you, so that's fine." He said. "Wait, where's Mariel?!"

"I'm right here Max..." Mariel said, sitting on a chair next to the bed he was restrained to. "It's good to see you again."

"We saw each other only a few hours ago." He said. "Unless I've been asleep for a really long time."

"You could say you were in a very long coma." Mariel replied. "For now, just rest and heal your wounds."

"Okay." He said, closing his eyes and falling back into a deep sleep.

"Let's leave them alone for a while, everyone." Sasha said.

Everyone seemed to silently agree with this and began funneling out of the room. As he left, Saito took one last glance at Max with his eyes. Seeing that there was only one type of magic contained within him, he felt satisfied, leaving Mariel by his side to watch over him as he recovered from his battle.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! I'm finally posting sort of on time, so I hope things don't feel too rushed, which they kind of do in my opinion. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I had fun writing it and I hope you have fun reading it. See you next time!**


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65**

Alex sat in his bed, staring into the fire in the room's fire place. A variety of questions flooded through his mind. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to keep him from getting up to talk to what he was told was his father. It had been three days since he and his friends defeated him, but he had remained unconscious, making Alex feel increasingly impatient.

His feelings confused him, giving him a slight headache. He was somewhat angry that his father wasn't in his life for so many years, but he was also extremely eager to meet him and feel love from him, despite the fact that he had been reanimated.

As he thought to himself, Shion walked into the room, ready to have a full night of sleep. She noticed that Alex looked downcast, or rather, lost in thought.

"Alex..." She said, trying to get his attention.

He didn't respond, so lost in thought that he could hear virtually nothing, including her voice. She sat on the bed and hugged him from behind, bringing him out of his trance. He was surprised for a moment, then calmed down, holding his wife's hand.

"Sorry." He said, uncharacteristically quietly.

"It's okay." She said, kissing his cheek. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm thinking about...my dad." He said.

"Oh. Of course." She replied. "How do you feel about him?"

"If that really is my father, I'm so angry for him not being there." He said. "But at the same time, I love him. I don't know why because I've never known him, but knowing that he loved me makes my heart feel...strange."

"I don't blame you." She said. "Do you know what you'll ask him?"

"I'll ask him if he regrets dying for me." Alex said. "I'm a pretty disappointing son, so-"

He was cut short by Shion turning him towards her and slapping him. He was shocked by it, staying silent until he was spoken to.

"He will not be disappointed to have you as a son." She said quietly, but very seriously. "You're a wonderful person. You have accomplished so much, including becoming a king."

"I'm a murderer..." He said, remembering all the people he killed as an assassin. "Why am I remembering these things now?"

"You were set on the wrong path by the circumstances of your life." She said, gently holding his face in her hands. "Don't let that hurt you."

"Thanks, Shion." He said, holding her hands. "You know, when we met, I thought you hated me."

"I did." She replied, not seeing something wrong with being honest.

"Harsh." He replied, his spirits being lifted a little. "I fell in love with you the moment you took off your mask, even if I tried to hide it."

This sudden confession made her cheeks turn a rosy pink, making her look away from him. She soon noticed that turning away gave him a clear look at her scarred eye, making her feel rather sad.

"I am sorry to have become so unsightly in the time we've known each other." She said, touching the right side of her face.

"You're even more beautiful now." He said. "I don't care if you have a scar or two. Besides, your wings kind of make up for it."

"They're not beautiful." She said, her entire face now red.

"They are." He replied. "You should be proud of them. I'm pretty happy that our kids will have wings like yours."

"Our kids?" She asked.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it and...when all this is over, I want to have a family." He said, putting his hand on her stomach. "Look at Louise and Saito. They're such a happy family and I started getting jealous. I want a part of that."

"Yeah, that sounds nice. Being a mother..." She said, thinking of how Louise was so happy with her twins.

"Well, if we're anything like Louise and Saito, we might need to start now..." Alex said, blushing wildly.

"Umm...yeah." Shion said, slowly removing her shirt.

However, just as it was about to come off, another voice shattered their private moment.

"There will be no love making yet!" Aigle said, laughing heartily and scaring the couple.

"Ms. Aigle! There's such a thing as knocking!" Alex exclaimed.

"I forgot..." She said after a long pause. "Anyway, I wanted to come here to talk to you about Shion's eye."

"What about it?" Shion asked silently.

"I raided Mariel's medical documentations and read about any ways to replace an eye." She said.

"Any good news?" She asked.

"It can be done, but it will be extremely painful." Aigle said. "Do you remember what Mariel did to Louise?"

"You mean how she modified Louise's body?" Alex asked.

"Yes. It is possible to isolate the operation to your eye, but..." She ended her sentence prematurely.

"But what?" Shion asked.

"It's a very risky operation." She replied. "It would require someone who is very knowledgeable about the intricacies of the eye. On top of that, it would be extremely painful."

"I am used to pain." Shion said.

"Not pain like this. To infuse the cells in your eye with magic will be...a pain you've never felt before." Aigle replied.

"How long will it take?" Alex asked.

"Forty eight hours on average. Twenty four hours for each eye." Aigle replied.

"Why both eyes?" Shion asked.

"For your eyesight to be balanced, it will have to be done to both eyes." Aigle replied. "If the operation is successful, your eyes will be enhanced. If it fails...you will be left permanently blind."

"What is the chance of success?" Alex asked.

"Approximately twelve percent." Aigle replied.

"So low." Alex said with a worried voice. "I don't think you should do it, Shion."

"I'll do it." Shion said with confidence. "I'll be okay, Alex."

After several moments of hesitation, Alex finally sighed.

"Okay." Alex said. "Please take care of her, Aigle."

"You can count on me, Alex." She replied, holding Shion's hand and leading her away.

As they walked through the hallways toward the operating room, Shion began to feel anxiety about the operation, making her stomach feel uneasy.

"How exactly does the operation work?" She asked.

"I will attempt to repair the injury to your eye using my magic." Aigle said. "Your eyes will be changed in the process due to the use of magic to repair them. If the operation is successful, your eyes will be better than they were before. Of course, if it fails, you'll become blind."

"I see. Thank you." Shion said. "Have you ever done this before?"

"Only a few times." Aigle replied. "In all honesty, I was not always successful. It's a difficult operation, even for me."

"I trust you." Shion replied quietly, despite being very afraid. "How bad will the pain be?"

"I will sedate you for the majority of the operation." Aigle replied. "I'll wake you up for a few minutes towards the end because I'll have to make sure your pupils dilate properly. That's when it will hurt. Don't worry though. Once the operation is done, I'll bandage up your eyes and you'll be able to recover."

Soon, they arrived at the operation room, where Aigle had Shion lay on a table. She fitted a device to her eyelids to keep them open, then injected a sedative into her arm, allowing her to fall asleep. When Shion was finally unconscious, Aigle began to work on her damaged eye first.

With a variety of sharp scalpels and other medical tools, she removed the scarred tissue, an operation which in itself took several hours. When she was finished, she put her tools away, then began to stick dozens of thin, sharp needles into both of her eyes.

When all the needles were in place, she placed her hands over Shion's eyes, allowing her magic to flow into the needles. After several minutes, the missing tissue in her damaged eye began to grow back, while her undamaged eye began to hiss as it was being modified.

Hiding behind the doorway to the room, Alex watched her work on his wife, feeling extremely anxious in waiting for her. As he watched, he felt someone grab his shoulder. When he turned, he saw Saito's eyes staring at him, contrasting brightly with the dark hallway behind him.

"Let her work." Saito whispered. "She'll be fine."

"Alright." Alex said reluctantly, following Saito away. "Is mom still with him?"

"Yeah." Saito replied as they walked into a dining room. "She insists on being there when he wakes up."

"I see." Alex said, making sandwiches for the two of them.

"Excited to meet him?" Saito asked.

"I don't know if I'm ready..." Alex replied, handing Saito some food.

"You have control over yourself. Don't worry about it." Saito replied. "How's that new arm treating you?"

"It hurt a little after the fight, but it feels fine now." Alex replied, looking down at the white appendage. "I hope Shion's eyes feel okay when her surgery ends."

"She'll be fine, man. Jeez." Saito replied. "She won't want you worrying so much, so just relax."

"You're right." Alex said, sitting back in his seat. "Hey, Saito?"

"What is it?" Saito replied.

"What's it like to have kids?" Alex asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Well...I haven't been able to be around mine too often." Saito replied. "When they were born, I was incapable of moving. But everything in my life centers around protecting them now. It's a weird feeling knowing that I'm so willing to give my life for them."

"So having kids makes you selfless. That sounds nice." Alex said.

"Why ask that all of a sudden?" Saito asked.

"Me and Shion want to start a family." Alex replied. "Seeing you and Louise have one kind of made me want one too."

"It's a lot of responsibility, Alex." Saito replied. "Besides, a lot of things are happening in your life right now. Are you sure now is the time?"

"Well, it took more than a year for your kids to be born." Alex said. "Shion and I aren't human either, so maybe it'll take the same amount of time."

"Maybe, but if it so happens to be a normal amount of time or less..." Saito said.

"You don't need to remind me of the possible dangers." Alex said. "I'm prepared to deal with it."

"Do you really want kids right now knowing that Brimir is out there?" Saito asked.

"Yeah. I've been thinking...if Shion and I somehow die, our country will have no successors." Alex replied. "I mean...I do want my own family to care for too, obviously."

"Well if you really want a family, then I suggest you ask Sasha about how long it'll take the kids to be born." Saito said.

"Alright." Alex said. "Kind of sucks that neither of us have had our weddings yet."

"Yeah..." Saito replied, remembering that his family wouldn't be there on his marriage day. "Just so many people to deal with."

"It's too bad you don't know what will happen anymore." Alex said. "That was a really big advantage."

"We've managed without it so far." Saito replied, now starting to worry about what was coming next.

Realizing that it was probably unhealthy to be having such morbid thoughts at that time, they decided to play games with each other, all of which usually revolved around getting to learn more about each other.

After several hours of playing games, they heard light groaning coming from Aigle's operating room. They got up to investigate, with Alex being worried that the surgery might have failed. When they arrived, they saw that Shion was sitting up on the table with her eyes wrapped with bandages.

She was very obviously in pain, but it didn't seem to be severe. Aigle was washing her hands at a sink, seeming very tired.

"How was it?" Alex asked.

"We won't know if it had been successful until the bandages are removed." Aigle said. "Until then, Alex, you will have to be her eyes. Take care of her."

"How long until the bandages can be removed?" Shion asked, struggling to speak with the pain she was feeling in her eyes.

"I would say no earlier than two weeks." Aigle replied. "Any earlier than that, and you may damage them if you use them."

"Two weeks..." Shion said in her quiet voice. "How inconvenient. Regardless, thank you, Ms. Aigle."

"Don't thank me until we know I succeeded." She replied, giving Shion a hug.

"You should rest, Shion." Alex said. "I can take you to bed."

"Thank you, Alex." She replied, slowly letting herself stand on her feet with his help.

"If she has trouble sleeping, give her these pills." Aigle said to Alex, handing him a bottle of small white pills. "They'll put her to sleep almost instantly. Just don't give her too many. Only when she really needs them to sleep."

"Thanks a lot, Ms. Aigle." Alex said, slowly helping Shion walk to their room.

"I'll give you a hand, Alex." Saito said, putting Shion's arm around his shoulders.

As they walked down the hallways to Alex's room, they heard his name being called. They stopped for a few moments to wait for whoever was calling him to arrive. Soon afterwards, Louise arrived in front of them.

"Alex, he's woken up." She said when she reached them.

"Okay." Alex said. "I'll leave put Shion in bed, then stop by."

"What happened to her eyes?" Louise asked, noticing that they were bandaged.

"Aigle worked on them to repair them." Shion said. "I'll be fine. Just allow me to rest for some time."

Louise gave her a hug, then left them to leave her in bed. Saito then left the two to follow Louise, with Alex deciding to stay with Shion until she fell asleep. Since they chose not to use the pills that were given to them, she remained awake for about half an hour before finally sleeping, at which point Alex tucked her in, then went to join everyone else.

They were all standing around one spot, which he knew was where his father would be. When he walked into the room, everyone turned to look at him.

"The last thing he remembers was his death, so at the very least, he'll be able to answer any questions you might have." Sasha said to Alex.

"Does he know that I'm here?" Alex asked.

"He has repeatedly asked if his son was okay, but we haven't told him that you're here." Sasha replied, whispering.

"Okay. I guess I can talk to him now." Alex replied, taking a deep breath afterwards.

When he was in view, Max looked at him for several seconds, taking in his face. After a while, he looked as if he finally realized who Alex was.

"Why is there another me over there?" Max finally said, to everyone else's disappointment.

"I'm not you." Alex said. "I'm...your son."

"Alex?!" Max exclaimed. "But if you're grown up...how long have I been asleep?!"

"It's been over 400 years..." Mariel said.

"400 years..." He said to himself, looking downcast. "I guess I didn't get to see you grow up, huh?"

"I was able to take care of myself, so it's fine." Alex said, trying to keep himself calm.

"I'm glad you inherited your mother's lifespan." Max said. "It looks like you inherited my looks though, unfortunately."

"Well, it could be worse..." Alex replied. "Listen, I want you to tell me what happened around the time I was born."

"It's been 400 years and Mariel hasn't told you?" He asked.

"I only found out she was my mother recently. She told me a little bit, but never went into too much detail." Alex replied, sitting down on a chair.

Max sat silently for several moments, thinking about where to start.

"Alright, I'll start from the day I found the kingdom of Elves."


	66. Chapter 66: Maximilien and Mariel I

**Chapter 66: Maximilien and Mariel I**

**425 Years Ago:**

A young man with short black hair and gray eyes walked through the forests of Gallia, hunting a deer to feed himself. As the deer bent its neck to drink water from a spring, he hid behind a bush so it didn't notice him.

Slowly, he set an arrow in his bow and drew the bowstring back. After taking some time to aim, he released the string, sending the arrow flying towards the deer's head. However, as the arrow flew towards the deer, a bright light appeared in its path.

A person walked out of the light, only immediately to be struck by the arrow, causing them to fall to the ground. The man with the bow, at first confused, ran to aide the person he had accidentally shot. They were wearing a hood and a mask, thus concealing their face.

They had been shot in their left leg and were bleeding profusely, so he removed his own cloak to tie it. Quickly, he removed the arrow, then used his cloak to bandage the wound. When he was finished, he finally looked at the person's face, although it was covered by a blank white mask.

"I apologize about that." He said. "I meant to shoot that deer."

"Leave me be. I can handle myself." The person said in a distorted voice.

"Nonsense. Let me take you home. I can treat you better." He said.

"I have no need for tr-" They began before being cut off.

He had lifted them up, wrapping their arm around his neck, then began walking in a certain direction. The person was in shock, wondering why they were being helped by a random stranger. Despite their previous protests, they allowed themselves to be taken away.

For several hours, they walked in silence before reaching a small village. The villagers seemed to look at the man with disdain as he walked through the village, eventually reaching a small house near the village center. He walked inside, having the stranger sit on a table. He rummaged through his cabinets for medical supplies, then came back to them.

"Take off your mask. It's a hot day." He said, reaching for the mask.

The person grabbed his arm before it could touch their mask.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave it on." He said, pulling his arm back. "I'll have to cut your pant leg where the arrow went in so I can treat the wound."

He got a pair of scissors from his cabinet and began to cut open the left leg of the baggy black pants they were wearing. When it was cut off, he saw that the wound was still bleeding, so he applied a coagulant to the wound.

He then applied alcohol to the wound and washed off the leg, then finally wrapped it in a bandage. When he was done, he sat back and looked at his handy work. He then noticed that their leg was extremely soft and very feminine, making his face turn red.

"You...You should take it easy for a while." He said, turning away from them. "I stopped the bleeding, but it could start again if you're not careful."

"Thank you." The person said, getting on their feet.

"Ummm, what's your name?" He asked.

The person was silent for several seconds, hesitant to reveal their identity.

"My name is Mariel." They finally said.

"I-I'm Maximilien. It's nice to meet you." He replied, still looking away. "Ummm...if you want, you can stay here until you heal. You don't have to! Just a suggestion..."

"No, I have to get home." She said, her voice still distorted.

However, when she stood up, pain shot through her leg, making her wince in pain. She tried again to walk away, but she fell on the ground in pain. Immediately, and rather instinctively, he rushed to help her up.

As he helped her stand up, he noticed that her mask was on the ground, having come off when she fell. When he looked at her, he saw an extremely beautiful young woman with pale but glowing skin, emerald green eyes, and jet black hair.

After several seconds of staring at her, he realized how close his face was to hers, making him quickly move away after setting her down on a chair.

"Sorry!" He said, blushing red.

"For what?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"Ummm...your mask. It came off." He said, pointing at the white object on the ground.

"How unfortunate." She replied. "I would have preferred it stay on, but since it has come off, so be it."

"I'll go get you some food." He said. "It's the least I can do since I hurt you. Just remain here and relax."

He quickly left the house to get food, being gone for several hours. As she sat in the house alone, she decided to look around since she had nothing better to do.

It was effectively a wood cabin with two stories. There was very little furniture inside and she could tell that Max was very poor to be living there, as the kitchen contained little food. That which was edible was rotting, yet it seemed to be valued to him.

Upstairs, his bedroom was barren, consisting of a rather dirty rag on the floor. Their was no bathroom that was immediately identifiable by her. Despite the house's rather large size, it was very obviously not meant for those blessed with great fortunes.

After waiting for about four hours, Max finally returned. He was dragging a sack behind him, which Mariel could smell was full of food. However, what caught her attention was that his face and the rest of his body seemed bruised.

He didn't seem to care about his bruises, instead setting the sack on the table. It was filled with several meats, bread, fruit, and wines. As her eyes took in the sight of the food and her nose took in the delicious aroma, she snapped herself out of her trance and turned her attention back to his bruises.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Let's just say that people around here don't like me." He replied, wearing a warm smile. "It doesn't matter. Feel free to eat as much as you like. There's enough for the next few weeks."

Despite still worrying about his well being, she couldn't ignore the feeling of her stomach needing to be filled, so she began to eat. As she satisfied her voracious appetite, she noticed that he wasn't eating with her, making her feel rather rude.

"Please eat." She said. "It's your food, not mine."

"I'll eat when you're satisfied." He replied, wearing the same warm smile. "You're injured, so you need a lot of energy."

"But you're injured too." She said.

"This? This is nothing." He replied, despite his bruises giving him a great amount of pain. "Just a few scratches."

Not satisfied with his answer, Mariel stood up and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes started to glow as she stared at his body, making him feel rather scared, although he chose not to move in case it somehow threatened her. After a few minutes, her eyes finally stopped glowing and she moved away.

"You have six fractured ribs, a broken hand, and several bruises and lesions." She said. "What happened?"

"How could you possibly know all that?" He asked.

"I'm...not normal." She said. "I will tell you if you tell me how you were hurt."

"Fine." Max sighed. "A group of guys ganged up on me when I was coming back."

"Why did they hurt you?" She asked.

"Because they think I'm descended from Elves." He replied. "Nobody likes Elves, so being descended from one isn't ideal."

"Do you know if your ancestors were Elves?" She asked.

"Not at all." He said. "My parents were both human as far as I knew."

"I see." She said rather sadly. "Could you not defend yourself?"

"Only aristocrats can use magic, so I have no way of defending myself against a group of people." He replied.

"Such foolishness." She said.

"What?" He asked.

"Never mind." She said quickly.

"So how come you could see what my injuries were?" He asked, choosing to dismiss her comments.

She looked at him for a few moments, contemplating whether she should inform him of her heritage. After a while, she seemed to make up her mind.

"I only do this because you have helped me." She said.

Slowly, she reached for the hood that still covered her head and pulled it down, revealing her head. She looked completely normal to him at first, but he then noticed the two swept back pointy ears that extended out of her long hair.

"You're an Elf..." He said in a bit of shock.

"If you no longer wish to treat me, I understand." She said, putting on her hood and standing up. "I will take my leave now."

"No, it's okay!" He said, grabbing her hand. "I have nothing against you for being an Elf."

"All humans hate Elves." She replied. "You have a particular reason to hate my kind considering we ruined your life."

"Elves didn't ruing my life. The people who hate them did." He replied. "Besides, even if they did ruin my life, it's not like you've done anything to hurt me, so I have no reason to hate you."

They stared at each other for a short while, rather intrigued by one another. However, after a short while, there was banging on his door. He looked behind his curtains to see who it was, cursing under his breath.

"Hide!" He said to her.

She seemingly fazed into thin air as she moved to a hiding spot. When she was out of sight, he opened his door. A group of six men forced their way past him and into his house. They were much bigger than he was, very obviously the warriors of the village.

They looked around the house, seemingly disgusted by its lack of luxuries. They then looked at the pile of good food on his table, then looked back at him.

"So how does a pauper like you afford all this food?" One of the men asked with a scruffy voice.

"I used all of my savings." He said, making sure not to look them in the eyes.

"Like you'd spend your life savings on a bunch of damn food!" Another one shouted. "You stole all this, didn't you?!"

"What do you expect from someone with the blood of an Elf?" A third one said.

Mariel, who was hiding on top of one of the beams in the ceiling, was surprised to see that Max said nothing in response to being called a thief, simply remaining silent.

"Just take the food and go." He said, still looking at the ground.

"Trying to be smart with us?!" The fourth man said. "We'll show you for giving us that attitude!"

The man proceeded to kick the side of Max's knee, which Mariel could hear had shattered at least one bone. With Max on the ground, all of the men began to beat him mercilessly, kicking him, punching him, beating him with random objects and spitting on him.

Throughout all of it, Max never tried to fight back even though he was being beaten closer and closer to death. After several minutes of abuse, the men finally stopped.

"You're lucky we even leave you alive!" The first man said, spitting on him.

"We'll be taking back this stolen food." The fourth man said. "Don't worry. We'll make sure to enjoy it."

The men all laughed as they put all of his food in a bag and then walked out of the door, stepping on Max's body as they left. When they were out of sight, Mariel jumped down from roof beam to Max's side.

He was barely conscious and was having trouble breathing. Several more of his bones were shattered and he had several wounds on his skin. Very gently, she picked him up and slowly laid him down on his table.

"Why did you say nothing back?" She asked.

"It wouldn't have helped." He replied, struggling to speak without coughing up blood.

"I won't let you die. Don't worry." She said, placing her hands on his chest.

He began to feel like the inside of his body was burning, which was a very uncomfortable feeling. It went on like this for more than an hour, with Mariel not listening to anything he was saying since most of it was questions about what she was doing.

After a while, the feeling went away. He could feel that his bones were still fractured, but he didn't feel like coughing whenever he spoke.

"I healed the major internal wounds, but you are still bleeding inside." She said. "You may die like this..."

"I'm not afraid of dying." He said. "I spent my life in poverty, but at the very least, I was able to help people even if they hated me."

She looked at him as he spoke. He seemed incredibly noble and brave, speaking with such courage even though with her powers, Mariel could feel that he was very afraid.

"I managed to soothe your hunger." He continued. "I'm happy to know I died having all of my debts paid."

After a few minutes, he began to fall unconscious due to blood loss. As his consciousness was fading from him, his eyes met with Mariel's. He took in her beauty, although his eyes were blurry. At the moment, she looked very upset.

"At least I was able to die next to a friend..." He said before everything around him going black.

Eventually, and quite suddenly, he woke up in a bed. His eyes slowly cracked open. He was in a room that looked to be made of stone and was bathed in the warm light of several torches on the wall. Wondering where he was, he started to hear voices talking in the room.

"Little sister, he helped me. I could not just let him die." One voice said in his ears.

"He helped you after he shot you, elder sister." The other voice said. "No human should be in this place."

"He is a good person." The first voice said. "He feels no hate for our kind."

As they spoke, he slowly sat up in bed. When he looked around, he saw Mariel talking to another Elf woman. It was an equally as beautiful woman with short white hair and the same emerald green eyes. Her face was stoic and she spoke in a rather emotionless voice, although at the moment, she was very clearly upset.

"You are awake." Mariel said, rushing to his side. "How do you feel?"

"I have a headache and my body feels like it's burning, but I'm glad to be alive." He said. "How long have I been asleep."

"Twelve days." Mariel replied. "I'm glad I managed to save you."

"You saved me? Thank you so much. Looks like I'm in debt to you again. " He said, wearing his signature warm smile. "Where am I?"

"I brought you to my home." Mariel replied. "It would have been impossible to save you in your home, so I brought you here. I had the tools to heal you here, thankfully."

"Do not get used to this hospitality, human." The white haired woman said.

"Never mind her." Mariel said. "She is my little sister, Sasha."

"Oh. Hello, Sasha. My name is Maximilien." He said, bowing his head.

"Try not to move." Mariel said. "Your body just finished healing, so it isn't quite ready to do very much."

"I'm not welcome here, so I have to go back home." He replied, getting up onto his feet. "I appreciate your help, but I'll be leaving now. It was great to have a friend, even if it was for a day."

He grabbed his clothes from a nearby closet, clothing his well built and newly healed body. When all of his clothes were on, he looked back at Mariel.

"Can you lead me to the exit?" He asked.

"Very well." She said.

Rather against his will, she lifted him onto her back and walked out of the hallway. She walked very swiftly, quickly reaching outside, where Max could see that he was still in some woods. He then realized that during that time, they were in the gargantuan mountain that stood behind them.

Before he could as where exactly they were, she put him on her pet dragon and flew towards the exit of her land. While in the air, Max could see the several cities that rested on lakes. He could see how the land was sounded by a tall mountain range.

After a short while, the dragon landed in the middle of the forest. Confused, Max was about to ask where they were, but before he could, she began to speak in her native tongue and draw a series of symbols in the air.

After a short while, an ovular light appeared in front of them, which Mariel signaled for him to walk through. Rather hesitantly, he walked through it, closing his eyes as he did. When they opened, he was still in the woods, but the light was nowhere to be seen.

"I will help you to your village." Mariel said, putting on her hood and her mask. "It will be better for both of us if I wear this mask."

"Oh, okay." He said. "Thank you."

She put his arm around her shoulder and began to walk in the direction of his house. When they finally reached the entrance of his village, people looked at him with the same scorn as they had before. As they got closer to his house, the same group of men that beat him to near death stopped them in their path.

"So where have you been for two weeks, runt?" One of them asked. "No doubt up to no good."

"Move." Mariel said in her distorted voice.

"You have some nerve talking back to us." The man replied. "Who do you think you are?"

"I said move." Mariel said again.

"Looks like we need to teach these two a lesson 'bout respect, don't we?" Another man said in a gruff voice.

He moved to punch Mariel's face, making Max close his eyes, expecting to hear the sound of a punch landing. Indeed, he did hear a punch land, but Mariel's body did not move in response to it. She remained standing, having not moved even an inch.

"Do not let me say it again." She said, sounding more angry than before. "Move aside."

"Mariel, don't do this." Max said. "It's me they want, just leave. I don't want you getting hurt again because of me."

"How cute. The runt's in love." One of the man said, laughing heartily. The comment made Max turn bright red, but he said nothing in response. "Like he could stand a chance with anyone, man or woman!"

However, as the men were laughing at him, they were all suddenly thrown back onto the sides of the street. Confused and furious, they got up to attack the two again, but were again knocked aside. This time, they got up with their swords drawn, now with the intent of killing them.

As their swords were about to make contact with Mariel's mask, all of the men suddenly stopped. Mariel kept walking towards Max's house as if nothing happened. As Max looked back at the men who were still frozen in place, they suddenly fell to the ground, crying in agony and coughing blood.

Mariel didn't seem fazed by what just happened, so Max knew that she must have done something to them. When they got inside his house, she set him down on a chair and sat next to him

"What did you do to them?" Max asked.

"I hurt them as they hurt you." Mariel said, still seeming very angry.

"How?" He asked.

"I am not a normal Elf. I'm...fast." She replied.

"You didn't have-" Max began.

"Yes, I did." Mariel said, cutting him off. "Listen, I will be going back to my land, so I cannot be here to protect you all the time."

"Well, with what you just did to them, I might just have to leave the town." He said, smiling at her again, which somehow made her feel less angry.

"No, you won't." She said. "While I was healing you, I gave you the power to protect yourself."

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"Magic. I have awoken your ability to use it." She said.

"But only aristocrats can use magic. I'm just a plebeian." He replied.

"That is foolishness." Mariel said. "All manner of human can use magic as long as they reserves of power are no longer sealed."

"Then how come when I read all of those textbooks about magic, I was never able to use it?" He asked.

"Your power was sealed, as it is in all humans from birth." Mariel replied. "The only reason so-called aristocrats are capable of using magic is because they have the money and power to know how to unlock their powers."

"I see. So...what can I do?" He asked.

"You had a tremendous amount of power, so you may do anything you like." She replied. "Which affinity your magic has is unknown to me, so you will have to find out for yourself."

"I see. Thank you, Mariel." He said.

"I am happy to help." She replied. "Now, I will take my leave. Do take care of yourself."

As she got up to leave, he watched her walking towards his door. He began to think about how one of the men said he fell in love and stood no chance with anyone. These thoughts drove him to rather instinctively stand up and hold her hand to stop her.

"What is wrong?" She asked.

"Ummm...will we be able to talk with each other again?" He asked, turning slightly red.

She seemed slightly amused by his question, showing him her smile for the first time. He thought it was very pretty, making him feel embarrassed.

"Of course. We're friends." She said giving him a tight hug.

"Thanks." He said, hugging her back.

After a short time, she pulled away and walked out of his door, waving goodbye, then seemingly disappeared into thin air. He stared at the spot where she last stood, remembering her smile, then quickly went back into his house to begin practicing magic with the textbooks he had hidden away.

He was determined to quickly learn all he could since he knew that soon, the whole village would be coming to kill him.


	67. Chapter 67: Maximilien and Mariel II

**Chapter 67: Maximilien and Mariel II**

Maximilien sat under the light of a torch, nearing the end of one of his magic textbooks. It had been four days since Mariel had left him there, and he knew that very soon, the village would want to execute him.

When he finally stood up, he stretched his legs and arms. He had spent the last four days virtually sitting in one spot, reading all of his textbooks. When he finished stretching, he looked at his hands, thinking about what he should do.

To see if what he learned was correct, he decided to test the kind of magic he was capable of using. When he snapped his fingers, a flame appeared in his palm, letting him know that he could use fire magic.

Although he was satisfied with the result, he decided to see if he could use any other kind of magic. Sure enough, he found that he could also use wind magic, then water magic, and even earth magic, although he was less adept in using those three than fire.

As he created balls of fire, wind, rock, and water in his house, he heard the sound of a crowd in the town. When he looked out of the window, he saw an angry crowd holding torches and swords walking towards his house.

Not wanting to hurt anyone, he put his hand on the ground and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, a massive wall appeared in front of his house. When it was in place, he fell back on his floor, feeling drained of energy.

Unable to move, he remained still and hoped that the villagers wouldn't be able to break through the wall. As he lay on the ground, he began to hear the sound of the villagers picking away at the wall, knowing it was only a matter of time before they would break through.

Soon, he heard the sound of footsteps on the roof. Knowing that he would soon have to fight, he grabbed a rusty old sword he had lying around and stood in the corner of the room. He was still feeling extremely weak, so was also desperately trying to think of a way to escape.

As he thought, the person on the roof dropped into the room. When he saw them, he felt relief, as it was a familiar face. Mariel stood in front of him, looking out of his window, then back at him.

"Why would you create something so large when you just learned how to use magic?" She asked.

"I had to protect myself somehow." He said, chuckling lightly and falling onto the floor.

"Still, this is too much for you." She said, helping him stand up. "You should have just left this place."

"I have nowhere to go." Max replied. "I can't go to your land and as soon as anyone hears my name in another town, I'll be cast out."

"These people want to kill you..." Mariel said, her eyes beginning to glow.

"Yeah. Not much I can do about that." Max replied.

"I'll kill them." Mariel said, grabbing a sword that hung from her back

"What? No!" Max said.

"They treated you like trash for your entire life." She replied. "And now they wish to kill you even though you were the one who was hurt. They deserve to feel the pain they caused you all these years."

"They have families. I can't let them die." Max said.

"Do you not have a family?" Mariel asked.

"Well...not anymore." Max said after a slight pause. "They're gone."

"Murdered?" Mariel asked.

Max was silent, simply looking at the ground so that Mariel would not see his pained expression.

"Murdered by these people?" She asked again.

"Yes." Max said quietly.

She looked down at him, feeling pity, then looked back outside the window. She looked down at her hand, thinking about what she should do. She knew that Sasha would be unhappy if she interfered with the village, but she felt obligated to do it.

"Maximilien, I will build you a home." She suddenly said. "I will not allow you to stay in this foul village any longer."

"So you're not going to kill them?" Max asked.

"No." Mariel replied with slight anger. "However, I will make their lives more uncomfortable."

She put her hand on the ground and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, a pulse of magic shot out of her hand and spread throughout the village. She then stood up, helping Max stand as well, then jumped through a hole in the roof, landing on top of it.

"What did you do?" Max asked.

"I suppose you could say I've cursed them." Mariel replied. "I'm going to start running. Are you ready?"

"Wait, what?" Max asked, not knowing what she meant.

Before answering him, she jumped off the roof and began to run, making Max close his eyes from the wind. For about an hour, it felt like he was flying through the air. The feeling eventually made him lightheaded, causing him to become unconscious a few moments later.

When he woke up, he was laying on a bed in a very lavish room. Everything around him was made of wood and all the furniture was very soft to the touch. When he looked to his side, Mariel was reading one of his books about magic.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Your home." Mariel replied.

"This doesn't look like my house." He said with confusion.

"I have built you a new house." She said. "You won't have to worry about persecution here."

"Where, exactly, is here?" He asked, standing up and looking out of the window.

"About one hundred kilometers away from the village." She said. "We are very near the border with Tristain."

"Was I asleep for days again?" Max asked.

"Only a few hours." She replied.

"Sorry about that." He said. "Umm...thanks for building this for me? I could make you some food, if you like."

"I will hunt with you." Mariel replied. "You are still quite weak, so I'd prefer to make sure nothing happened to you."

She stood up and began to rummage through one of the wardrobes in the room. She pulled out a bow made of a red wood with a bright luster. It had gold tips and the bowstring seemed to glow white. She then handed him a white quiver filled with bronze tipped arrows.

"These are yours now." She said. "Look after them."

"I couldn't take these from you." Max said. "You've already done so much for me."

"I insist." Mariel said, forcing the bow and arrows into his hands.

"Why are you doing these things for me?" Max asked. "I mean...you don't owe me anything."

"I owe you nothing, I know. But we are friends." She replied. "Helping you...makes me feel happy."

Hearing those words come out of her mouth made his heart flutter, although he did his best to remain as composed as possible. He gave her a hug, then quickly put on the very comfortable boots she had brought for him.

When they were both prepared, they walked out into the woods to hunt for food. For reasons that Max couldn't understand, Mariel was exceptionally good at tracking animals. Within an hour, they found a boar that was large enough to satisfy both Max's, and Mariel's massive appetite.

It was when he fired his bow at the boar that he realized that it was infused with some kind of magic. Although he was sure his aim was off, the arrow pierced the animal's heart with ease, seemingly being guided through the air. Choosing to ignore this, he began to make a sled for them to drag the boar home with.

"What are you doing?" Mariel asked.

"There's no way we'll be able to carry a boar that large, so I'm making a sled for us to pull it home." Max replied.

However, when he turned around to look at her, he saw that she was carrying the dead beast over her shoulder with no effort at all.

"A-Are all Elves this strong?" He asked in slight fear of her.

"No, just my little sister and I." Mariel said nonchalantly. "Come. Let's go home. It's getting late."

On their way back, Max stared at Mariel for a few minutes, making her wonder what was going through his head.

"What is it, Maximilien?" She asked.

"You're not a normal Elf." Max said.

"No, I am not." She replied.

"Could you tell me how you got so strong?" He asked.

"Through pain I will never let you feel." She replied, obviously referencing something that happened to her.

"You were a warrior or something?" He asked.

"I was...a failed experiment." She said after a slight pause.

"A failed...experiment?" Max asked.

"Forgive me, Maximilien, but I would prefer to speak of this after we have eaten our fill." She replied.

"It's okay. I understand." Max said.

They spent the rest of the time walking back in silence. When they got inside, they began to help each other prepare their dinner. They were both fantastic cooks who took a great amount of enjoyment out of being creative with their dishes, so they were enjoying cooking together.

As they ate their several boar based dishes, Max started to think about the question he asked Mariel earlier, but before he could ask, she started to ask him questions of her own.

"So...what about you?" Mariel asked in a muffled voice, shoving a large peace of meat into her mouth.

"What about me?" He asked in an equally muffled voice.

"Your past." Mariel said, having swallowed her food.

"Oh..." He began, putting down his fork for a second. "Well, what would you like to know?"

"I dunno." She replied, seeming much more childish than normal.

"Well, how about if I tell you about myself, you tell me about yourself too?" He asked.

"Fair enough." Mariel replied, after a moment of consideration.

"I was born to a fairly wealthy family 18 years ago." He began. "We had everything we could ever want, but we were hated because we may have been descended from Elves."

"Then how come you are so poor now?" She asked.

"One day, when I was coming home from school, I saw smoke coming from my house." He continued. "Of course, I ran towards the house to see if my parents were okay. But when I got inside the house, it was filled with smoke. It was hot, I struggled to breathe, but I decided to press on to my parent's room to see if they were okay. When I got there, I saw both of them on the ground...dead. Not from smoke inhalation. I could see that they had been beaten and their throats slit. Obviously, it was horrifying for me to see, so I ran away."

"I...I'm sorry." Mariel said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay." He said, holding her hand. "After that, I had no choice but to live on the streets. I ate scraps of food or stole it when I could. After a while, I met an old woman who would bring me food from time to time. She was the only crumb of happiness I had to hold on to. But about a year later, I found out she passed away. Luckily for me, she left her home to me. That's the home I took you to when I shot you."

"Now I see why you're so attached to that place." Mariel said with a hint of pity.

"Yeah. I see now though that I had to leave eventually." He said, lamenting his troubled past. "Anyway! What about you?"

Mariel sat back in her chair, thinking about where to begin.

"Well firstly, I was born 5,599 years ago." She said.

"You're kidding..." Max said in shock.

"Not at all." She replied. "Back then, the nations you know today didn't exist. Their were the kingdoms of the Elves, Dwarves, Fairies, and Anioły. The humans at the time were composed of several warring states all competing for power. I was born into a low class family, but our living conditions were far superior to even the human's high class society. When I came of age, I decided to venture into one of the human countries to observe their culture. When I was there, I met a certain man..."

"So you already have someone..." Max said, feeling his heart sink.

"Hardly." Mariel said with some anger. "I came to hate that man with time."

"Who was he?" Max asked.

"A very charismatic and ambitious man." Mariel replied. "His name was...Brimir."

Max stopped eating when he heard that name. He had seen it several times in his magic textbooks. Even before he began to read those textbooks, the name Brimir was known in every household.

"You knew Brimir? The void mage?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Mariel continued. "I allowed myself to be wooed by his charming words and gestures of affection. I eventually allowed myself to fall in love with him. When that happened, he started to show me some of his 'work'."

"What work?" Max asked, not knowing Brimir's true nature.

"Although he was charismatic, he was also extremely bright. What even an Elf would call a genius." She said. "He told me he dreamed of a world where all races were equal, and that to do that, he would need a partner with a strong body. Because I loved him, I decided I would help him. I let him perform experiments on my body. Terrible, painful experiments. They were, for the most part, successful, making me much stronger than before. I was so blinded by love and strength that I didn't realize I was being turned into a tool for him."

She was becoming increasingly more agitated, with the room they were in beginning to shake. Birds outside flew away, feeling that there was a threat coming from her. Instinctively, Max held her hand, which, much to his relief, snapped her out of her anger.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"It's okay. You don't have to keep talking about it." He replied, looking into her eyes.

"No. I made a promise, so I will keep it." She said. "One day, he said he wanted to perform one last experiment. He wanted to create a vessel out of me that could contain the power of...certain beings. Powerful beings whose strength could not be used by any mortal thus far. At the time, they were known in Halkeginia as Cataclysms."

"That's a dramatic name." Max said.

"Dramatic, but fitting." Mariel replied. "They were very much capable of destroying Halkeginia if they were provoked, but they seemed to be rather docile when left alone. In recent years though, they had disappeared, and I found that the reason why was because Brimir had managed to trap them away in other realms. I foolishly accepted his request to become this vessel, but when he began the process, my body rejected their power. This rejection nearly killed me, but rather than help me or even be worried about my well being, Brimir left me in the dark to die alone."

"That's awful..." Max said, feeling very sorry for her.

"I crawled out to a road nearby, but didn't have the strength to continue to a town to get help." She continued. "Luckily, a group of Fairies traveling on that particular road helped me recover. I traveled back to my home in the kingdom of Elves. Upon arriving, I learned that my little sister followed in my footsteps and chose to travel the world. At the time, I thought nothing of it. With the benefit of hindsight, I now wish I had gone after her..."

There was a long pause between them as they thought about the stories they had just told each other.

"So...what happened to Brimir?" Max asked.

"That is a story only my sister can complete in detail." Mariel said. "For now, I think I have said enough."

"I understand." Max said. "It's dark already. Would you like for me to set some bedding aside for you?"

"I really must return home." Mariel replied. "Little sister won't be happy if I disappear for an entire night."

"Okay..." Max said, a little saddened.

She noticed that he was very obviously saddened, so she gave him a hug, which surprised him enough to jump slightly at the feeling of her body. As startled as he was, he enjoyed the feeling and hugged her back.

"I promise I will see you soon." Mariel said as she pulled away.

"Y-Yeah..." Max replied, blushing red as his gray eyes met her emerald ones.

He felt his heart start to beat extremely quickly, which made her start to chuckle. She held his face in her hands and gave him a kiss on his forehead before standing up to leave. When she finally disappeared, he laid down on the soft bed that was made for him. He recalled the hug he just had from Mariel, thinking that she smelled of flowers.

For the next several months, Mariel would visit his home and they would hunt and tell stories together. One day, Max walked through the woods alone, wanting to get some fresh air. Soon, he realized he was getting close to his old village.

Putting on a mask, he decided to walk through it and visit his old home. As he walked through the entrance of the village, he noticed that everyone seemed far less healthy than when he last saw it. Several people came to him to ask for food, even though he clearly had none at the moment.

He decided to find the leader of the village to ask him what may have happened. When he reached the town center, he saw that the mayor of the village had become very skinny and ill, but was doing his best to keep the people calm.

"Excuse me. What happened to this village?" He asked when the mayor was free to be spoken to in his office.

"We seem to have fallen into bad favor with the gods." The mayor said. "Any food we eat is rotten or poisoned, even if it's freshly harvested nuts or hunted meat. Our water is foul. Disease plagues our streets. Insects bite us in our sleep."

"That's terrible. What caused this?" Max asked.

"I do not know for sure, but I have an idea." He replied after a large amount of coughing. "There was once a boy who lived here. We thought him to be descended of Elves, and so he was mistreated. He disappeared several months ago, but I believe our mistreatment of him has caused us to fall out of the god's favor."

"Why do you think this?" Max asked.

"The home where he used to stay is the only healthy part of this village." The mayor said, coughing again.

Confused, Max bowed towards the mayor, thanking him for the information. He then made his way towards his old house. Just as the mayor said, the house and the area surrounding it was a paradise. Trees grew that bore fruit. Rabbits hopped around the area. Birds sang in the trees. A small pool of crystal clear water sat near the house.

"Don't bother trying to go there." One of the passing villagers said to him.

Max recognized him as one of the burly men who used to beat him, which made Max feel a little bit of anger and hatred. He was much skinnier now with unhealthy pale skin that was scarred where he was bitten by insects.

"Why?" Max asked.

"No one in this village can go there." The man said. "When we try, we are repelled by some kind of field. Only the kids seem to be able to go there."

"So the children are okay." Max said. "Why can they not bring you food from inside."

"Any food we eat turns rotten. You must not be from around here." The man said, coughing.

"I will take my leave." Max said, feeling rather satisfied that the village's children were healthy.

As he walked by the man, he moved his mask aside slightly, letting him see who he was. The man's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Max seemed to disappear, using his magic to cloud the man's vision.

When Max returned back to his home, Mariel was waiting inside for him. He gave her a hug, then sat down on a chair.

"The village is doing quite poorly." He said. "Well, except for the children."

"I have given them the life they gave you." Mariel replied. "Does that not make you upset?"

"Not at all. As long as they remain alive and the children are healthy, I'm happy." Max replied. "Anyway, I'm surprised you're here so early today."

"Well, I won't be here for long." She said. "I'm stopping by on my way to Tristain."

"Oh. That sucks." Max said. "Do you have to leave right now?"

"I'm afraid so." Mareil replied. "I will visit again soon."

"Okay. I look forward to it." He said, smiling wide.

She smiled back at him, then disappeared, leaving him to continue his daily activities, which mostly consisted of practicing his magic. As he practiced, he sensed that someone else was nearby. When he looked behind him, however, he saw no one.

When he turned his head back, standing in front of him, only a few meters away, was Mariel's younger sister. Sasha.


	68. Chapter 68: Maximilien and Mariel III

**Chapter 68: Maximilien and Mariel III**

"Hello, Sasha." Max said. "Mariel just left for Tristain."

"I am well aware of my sister's whereabouts." She replied rather coldly.

"Oh, then why are you here? I know you're not particularly fond of me." Max asked.

"What has she told you?" Sasha asked.

"About what? We haven't talked much today." Max replied. "Why do you ask?"

"She has grown quite fond of you, hasn't she?" Sasha said, observing his body closely.

"I don't think so." Max replied. "We're friends, I suppose. We help each other pass time."

"The last time either of us were so fond for a man...for a human..." Sasha said under her breath.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked.

Sasha closed her eyes, thinking for several moments. After about a minute, she began to reach for the axe that hanged on her back.

"I apologize, but I'm afraid I must end your life." She said calmly, holding her axe in her hand.

"Wait, what?! Why?!" Max exclaimed, backing away from her.

"I cannot let my sister have her emotions manipulated by another human." Sasha said, walking towards him.

"I'm not like Brimir!" He said.

"Oh? So she told you about him?" Sasha asked. "That alone tells me she holds you too dear. Tell me, what did she say about me, her little sister?"

"She never told me much." Max replied, pulling his bow from his back.

"Did she not tell you what Brimir tried and failed to turn her into?" Sasha asked, still walking closer.

"She told me he wanted to use her as a vessel for some being's power." Max said, putting a bow on his bow string.

"Yes. Although he failed to accomplish this with her, he found success in me." She said. "I was turned into a weapon for his use, calling me the left hand of god."

"The left hand of god..?" Max said, thinking the name sounded familiar. "You're...Gandalfr?"

"I was." Sasha replied. "Until I killed Brimir, although since your life is about to end, I see no reason to tell you much more."

"Listen, there is nothing between your sister and I." Max said. "Even if I love her, she sees me as a friend. Nothing more. It's been that way since we met."

"Your declaration of love for my sister will not stop your inevitable fate." She replied.

"If you really insist on killing me, then I will protect myself." He said.

"Very well, although this would be much easier if you let me kill you." She replied.

Max kept his eyes on her as she slowly walked towards him, not knowing what to expect. Choosing to attack first, he infused one of his arrows with fire magic and shot it at Sasha. As the arrow was about to touch her, she vanished.

Normally, he would not have been able to know where she went, but the arrow he fired changed direction several times, tracking her movements. After a few seconds, she appeared in the same place and grabbed the arrow out of the air.

"She gave you that bow. How troublesome." She said, snapping the arrow in two.

He prepared to fire another arrow, but before he could, he was suddenly knocked back into a tree, causing him to cough up blood. When he fell to the ground, he was breathing very heavily. By the time he managed to get to his feet, Sasha was already before him.

She grabbed him by his neck and held him against a tree, starting to choke him. Her grip was incredibly powerful, restricting his windpipe and preventing him from breathing. Knowing that if he lost consciousness, he would certainly die, he used earth magic to toss dust into her eyes.

She instinctively let go of him when she felt the irritation in her eyes. He used this opportunity to create a large explosion. Not to damage his enemy, but to create smoke and give him an opportunity to run away.

His tactic bought him enough to time run some distance away. With nowhere nearby to hide, he laid on the ground and covered himself in earth and leaves. By the time Sasha had cleaned out her eyes, he was perfectly camouflaged on the ground.

He heard her start walking around, although the sound of the leaves moving beneath her feet was extremely faint. After several hours, he heard her stop walking only a few dozen yards away from where he was.

"Why make this so difficult on yourself?" She said. "This life has nothing for you. No one loves you. No one will care if you disappear. You will be mistreated for the rest of your life. So let me end your suffering."

She waited for a few seconds for any kind of change in the environment.

"Do you remain alive because you hope to win my sister's heart?" She asked.

When he heard those words, his heart rate began to increase. He started to breathe slightly faster as he realized that Sasha was probably right. Whenever people stronger than him had hurt him in the past, he never fought back. Yet for some reason, now, although he was fighting the strongest person to walk the earth, he chose to fight back.

However, as these thoughts filled his head, he found himself suddenly tumbling through the air in a considerable amount of pain. Hearing his heavier breathing and quickly beating heart, Sasha had managed to pinpoint his location, kicking him out of his hidden location.

When he landed, he could feel that several of his bones had shattered. His organs were in a considerable amount of pain as well, rendering him immobile. As he looked up at the now dark sky, Sasha stood over him, staring at him with the same bored expression she always wore.

Knowing he was about to die, tears began to flow down his eyes, although even he was not sure why. As she lifted her axe into the air, he thought about how unhappy his life had been, but then thought of Mariel and how she made him happy.

As these thoughts passed through his head, Sasha brought her axe down. Just before it would make contact with his head, he closed his eyes, not knowing what to expect. However, after a few seconds, he realized he was still alive.

When his eyes opened, he saw the axe straining to move forward to split his head in two, but it was being restrained. When he looked up, he saw Mariel standing behind Sasha, pulling the axe away from her sister.

"Unhand my axe, sister." Sasha said calmly.

"What do you think you are doing, Sasha?" Mariel said in a calm, but very threatening voice.

Mariel calling her by her name seemed to strike fear into Sasha's heart, as she clearly started to sweat and began to shake.

"I am preventing you from being wronged again." She said, her voice slightly shaky.

"By killing this man?" Mariel asked again.

"Yes, sister." Sasha responded, not daring to turn around and face her sister.

"Go home before I lose my temper." Mariel said with an intense aura being generated around her.

Sasha did not respond to her sister's order. She simply obeyed her wish and disappeared, seeming relieved that for now, she had escaped her sister's wrath. When she was gone, Mariel dropped to her knees and helped Max lift his head.

"Hey..." He said weakly, wearing a smile.

"Don't talk!" She exclaimed, starting to shed tears.

"I'm...going to die..." He said, coughing up more blood.

"No you're not!" She replied. "I can heal you!"

"These wounds can't be healed." He replied in an almost inaudible voice. "But...for once, I'm not okay with dying just yet."

"I said stop talking!" She said, putting her hands on his chest and closing her eyes.

With her powers, she could see the various wounds he had gotten from her sister. Much to her dismay, Max had been correct. His wounds could not be healed quickly enough to save him. Most of the wounds he sustained were life threatening, but Mariel could not heal all of them at once, meaning he would die in his current state.

"I don't want to die yet...because of you." He continued, staring up at the moons in the sky. "You made me feel happy. Like I was loved."

Knowing that he there was no way for him to be healed, she simply sat by his side and listened to him speak with tears flowing down her face.

"Even if you saw me as a way to pass time, being with you made me feel purposeful." He said, struggling to draw breath. "I know that as a human, I could never make you feel the same way, but I still had hope."

As she finally started realizing what he was trying to say, she began to cry. She held him closer to herself, taking some sort of comfort from being together with him.

"You don't have to keep talking. I understand." She said, stroking his hair.

"I love you..." He said in a voice too quiet to hear.

As soon as he spoke those words, his eyes shut and his breathing became more and more shallow. Hearing him confess his love for her gave Mariel a strong determination to not just give up on his life. She picked him up and carried him on her back. Running as fast as she could, she made her way to the portal that led to the kingdom of Elves.

In only a few hours, she made her way back to her mountain and into her lab, where she set him on an operation table. She stared at him for a few minutes, thinking about what she was about to do to him. Whether he would hate her for it. Whether it was worth doing.

Soon, she cast all doubt from her mind and took several items from a nearby cabinet. A pink, gel like substance, a box of several needles, and a bottle of alcohol.

She cleaned off his body with the alcohol, then applied the pink gel onto his skin. Once it was absorbed into his body, she carefully placed thousands of tiny needles into his body. Once they were all in placed, she placed her hands over his body and began to feed her magic into the needles.

For the next six days, she sat in the same place, focused on the young man laying unconscious in front of her. She ignored any attempts by her sister to make contact with her until finally, on the night of the sixth day, she completed the procedure.

His body, on the outside at least, seemed to have healed. He was unconscious, but was still alive. She picked him up and carried him to a bedroom within the mountain, leaving him in a soft bed to recover his energy.

She sat next to him while he slept, holding his hand tightly. As she watched him rest, Sasha walked into the room. Neither of them said anything for several minutes, despite Mariel being aware of her little sister's presence.

"I...was trying to protect you." Sasha said

"From what?" Mariel said, not looking at her sister.

"The pain of being betrayed again." Sasha replied.

"This man. I love him, sister." Mariel said. "I love him, and yet I treated him like he was not special to me because I was afraid of betrayal."

"Forgive me, sister." Sasha said. "If he dies, I will punish myself accordingly."

"You will do no such thing." Mariel said. "He will not die. I...changed him."

"That procedure is forbidden, sister." Sasha said."If I must leave the kingdom for my transgressions, I will gladly leave with him." Mariel replied, finally turning around to look at Sasha.

Sasha was silent for a few moments, staring at Max in bed. After some more time, she turned to take her leave.

"I will tell the council nothing of this." She said. "Consider it an attempt to attain your forgiveness."

Mariel didn't respond to her statement. She turned back to Max and began to wait again for him to awaken. For the next several days, she remained by his side while he slept. Two weeks later, she left the room to get food.

When she came back, carrying a large tray of meat, she noticed that Max's eyes had opened. He was staring at the ceiling and didn't seem to notice that she walked into the room. She immediately dropped her plate of food and ran to his side, holding his hand.

"Am I dead?" He asked, seemingly in a daze.

"Max!" Mariel exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

"That hurts, Mariel." He said calmly, although he was wearing a weak smile.

"Sorry." She said, loosening her grip.

"My body is so stiff." Max said, not being able to get up. "

"You need to rest for some time." Mariel replied. "Do you...remember what happened?"

"I remember Sasha attacking me. You saved me, Mariel." He said. "After that, I don't remember much. I know we spoke, but..."

His memories began to return to him as he spoke. He first remembered talking about how he didn't want to die yet. How strange it was for him to want life considering how he always would have preferred death. Inevitably, he remembered the three words he spoke to her before falling unconscious.

His face turned bright red and he immediately turned away from her, not being able to withstand the embarrassment. He buried his face into his pillow and tried his best to compose himself again.

"I'm sorry for what I said." He said, his voice muffled by his pillow.

"There is no need for apology." She replied. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing."

"Why would you have to apologize?" He asked, finally being able to look at her. "You saved my life."

"I know how you feel in your heart about me. I've known for a very long time." She began. "The truth is...I feel the same way about you, but out of fear, I treated you as I would anyone else."

He stared at her for few moments before laying his head back on his pillow. He thought about what he told her as he was dying. Knowing that she felt the same way about him alleviated his embarrassment, but also made him feel anxious.

"We can't be together, anyway." He said sadly. "Your sister-"

"Will not interfere in your relationship." Sasha interrupted, making her presence known to them.

Max's reflexes made him start trying to move away when he saw her, with fear shooting through every fiber of his body. As she walked closer, he remembered how easily he was defeated by her. Her status as Gandalfr was prevalent in his mind.

"I will not harm you." She said, sitting on a nearby chair. "I will support your relationship with my sister."

"What changed your mind?" Max asked, still very uncomfortable.

"I spoke with her." Sasha said. "She's in love with you. She trusts you. I was wrong to try and kill you against her will. If she cares for you so much, I will respect her wishes."

"Oh. Thank you." He replied, relaxing in his bed a little more.

"However." She continued. "If you break her heart, I will kill you regardless of what she desires."

"How charming..." He said, his pale skin turning ghost white. "But I'll never break her heart, so I have nothing to worry about."

He looked back at Mariel, who was also blushing because of all the discussion about love. Although it was very hard for him to move, he managed to hold Mariel's hands, putting her at ease.

"Before I allow you to enjoy your romantic moment, I believe Mariel must explain how she saved your life." Sasha said, interrupting them.

"Oh, right." Mariel said. "To put it simply, you are no longer entirely human. I gave your body the power to heal itself by replacing some of it with magic or material from my own race."

"I'm not sure I quite understand, but I'm happy to be alive." Max replied.

"If you are satisfied with your body, I will leave you two alone for now." Sasha said, standing up to leave the room. "Remember my warning, Maximilien."

Her very emotionless way of speaking made him slightly terrified, but he ignored it since at the moment, he and Mariel were alone.

"I should let you recover for now." Mariel said, about to leave the room as well.

"Umm, okay..." Max replied, looking slightly disappointed.

Noticing his disappointment, she walked back to him and gave him a soft kiss, much to his surprise. When she pulled away, he remained completely motionless. Even as he watched her walk out of the room with a smile on her face, his own face was blank from shock.

When his shock finally subsided, a wide smile formed on his face. It stayed with him for hours until eventually, he fell asleep. For the next few days, he would slowly regain more and more control over his body.

Even when he was finally able to walk, Mariel insisted that he remain in her kingdom, despite it being illegal for a human to reside there. During the several weeks he spent there, Mariel and, rather oddly, Sasha, had showed him several parts of the kingdom, particularly the cities that rested on lakes.

He thought it was very beautiful, but his experience was rather ruined by how everyone around him treated him. Everyone found him incredibly repulsive and treated him with contempt, much like they had at his old village.

"Why do they hate me so much?" He asked when he was alone in the woods with Mariel.

"Because of Brimir." She said as she braided his now very long hair.

"Do they all know what he did to you?" He asked.

"No." She said. "Have you ever wondered why there are no Dwarves or Fairies or Anioły in the human world? Why there is no documentation of their very existence?"

"I guess it is pretty strange. Why is that?" He asked.

"Brimir committed genocide against the other races." She said, putting flowers into his braid. "We were all nearly driven to extinction."

"How could he do that?!" Max asked in shock.

"That was the purpose of creating Gandalfr." She replied. "He first used her to united the humans, then used fear to inspire them to wage war against us. He acted too quickly for us to fight back."

"Then how was he defeated?" Max asked.

"Once Sasha realized what he was doing, she killed him in his own palace." Mariel replied. "With the humans in disarray, she led the remnants of our peoples against the remaining human armies and defeated them. Once the wars were over, she retired to this place in agony, now knowing the bitter taste of betrayal. She locked herself in her room for months. By the time she came out, her hair had turn from the beautiful pitch black it used to be to the snow white it is now. She had changed too. She became cold. Over calculated. Cynical. Hateful."

"No wonder she wanted me dead..." Max said sadly. "I don't blame her."

"The only times she ever got happier is when she was with her kids." Mariel continued, putting more flowers into his hair. "She found solace in their company."

"She has kids?" He asked.

"You humans are very familiar with them." She replied. "The founders of the three Brimiric states. Bartholomew of Albion, Vittorio of Gallia, and Oliviére of Tristain. Together, they conquered most of Halkeginia and formed the three allied countries."

"Where are they now?" He asked.

"In the human world." She replied. "They chose to leave Halkeginia and study other lands."

As she continued to braid his hair, he thought about how everywhere he went, he was hated. At first, it made him feel very sad, but then he decided that instead of brooding over how no one liked him, maybe he could try to change that.

"I'm going to go back to my village." He said suddenly.

"Why would you want to return there?" She asked.

"Getting revenge on them won't solve anything." He said. "If I can show them that even if I'm descended from Elves, it doesn't mean we have to be enemies, then maybe I can help mend the relationship between humans and the other races. I have to start somewhere, after all."

"That's an ambitious dream." Mariel replied.

"Most dreams are. I won't know if it's feasible until I try it though." He said.

"If that is your dream, then I will help you fulfill it." She said as she finished his hair.

"You will?" He asked with surprise.

"Yes. It will be a long journey, but I believe it can be achieved with time." She replied.

"Thank you, Mariel." He said, giving her a kiss. "Let's go back to my village. That could be a great place to start."

"Right." She replied.

They made their way back to the portal that led to the Gallian forest. With a feeling of determination and hope, they stepped through it, ready to start their mission of bringing peace, forgiveness, and understanding between the races of Halkeginia.


	69. Chapter 69: Maximilien and Mariel IV

**Author's Notes:**

 **It's been a while since I wrote one of these notes. Anyway, this chapter contains a small lemon. If that bothers you, please skip it. If it doesn't bother you, just know that I am absolute sh*t at writing lemons, so read it at your own risk. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 69: Maximilien and Mariel IV**

Maximilien and Mariel walked through the woods of Gallia towards his old village. Snow covered the ground and the air was cold and dry. Max knew that in these conditions, many of the people in the village wouldn't last long, so he had to act quickly to help them.

"What's the first thing you're going to do to assist them?" Mariel asked.

"First and foremost, the people need food." Max replied. "I'll need you to remove your curse from them."

"They don't deserve such kindness." She said.

"Maybe not, but revenge has never solved anyone's problems." He replied. "It will just create more hatred. Once that happens, all it takes is one powerful human to find the kingdom of Elves or one powerful Elf to decide to get revenge on humanity to send Halkeginia into ruin."

"Very well. I will remove the curse." Mariel replied, although she was slightly irritated.

After another hour, they arrived at the village's front gate. The village was now surrounded by a massive wall. The gate was closed and a rather frail looking man sat next to it. A bit confused, Mariel and Max decided to ask the man about what happened.

"Excuse me, sir." Max said. "Why is the village walled off?"

"There is a plague within the walls." The man said, wheezing slightly. "The government of Gallia has forbade entry into the village until it is cured."

"How long has this been happening?" Max asked.

"The people within the village have been seemingly cursed for nearly a year." He replied. "Rotten food. Pests everywhere. Only the children are spared. This plague arrived about two months ago."

"Have any doctors found a way to cure it?" Max asked again.

"No. The doctors themselves never got sick, but our own people are becoming increasingly ill." The man replied, coughing again.

Max looked up at the walls of the village, thinking about what he should do.

"Let me in." He finally said.

"You haven't been given permission by the government of Gallia. I cannot let you in." The man replied, coughing again.

Max walked towards the man, making him feel rather uncomfortable. The man pulled his sword from his scabbard, although he found trouble in lifting the heavy object. By the time he managed to hold it up properly, Max put his hand on the man's shoulder.

After a few moments, the man fell unconscious. When he fell onto the ground, his shoulder separated from Max's hand, giving Mariel the chance to see a string of blood that was connecting Max's hand to the man's body.

"Max...what is that?" She asked.

"Hm? Oh, I can do certain things now." He replied. "I can't quite explain it, but after you saved me, I was able to...feel everything around me."

"What do you mean?" She said.

"Living things." He replied. "I can feel them and...control them."

"When did you learn to do that?" She asked.

"I didn't. It came naturally to me just now." He replied.

"So what are you doing to him?" She said.

"He's sick." He said. "I can feel the plague in his body. I think my own blood can get rid of it."

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"I'm guessing." He replied. "If I infuse enough of my blood with his, it might be just enough to cure him."

"But your blood might not be compatible with his." She said.

"Once the plague is gone, my blood will leave his body." Max replied.

After a few minutes, the blood that connected him to the gatekeeper disappeared. A short time later, the man slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes, feeling quite tired. When he realized what was happening, he became alert and held his sword towards Max and Mariel.

"What did you do to me?!" He asked with confusion.

"I cured you of your sickness." Max replied. "How do you feel?"

The man looked down at his body, patting himself up and down. He felt much stronger than before. He didn't feel ill anymore, a blessed relief to him after several weeks of sickness.

"I can cure the rest of the village if you let me inside." Max said.

"Very well." The man said. "And who is your companion in the mask?"

"My partner." He replied, not wanting to elaborate further.

"Well, you healed me so...go on inside." The man replied.

The gates slowly opened in front of them, revealing the decrepit, rotten, and run down wooden buildings the housed so many ill people. Right next to the village's gate was a mass grave. Several bodies were being set inside the long trench and set on fire.

Among the bodies, Max could see the burning body of the mayor he spoke to the last time he was at the village. He felt guilt about his death, but chose to ignore it. As he and Mariel walked through the village, people who recognized him cursed at him, believing he was the cause of the plague.

"What is the population of this village?" Mariel asked.

"It was about one thousand when we met." Max replied. "It's less now."

"How will you heal so many?" She asked. "You only have so much blood."

"Well, I can force my body to produce some more." He replied. "It takes a lot out of me, but I think I can produce enough to heal everyone."

"I can hardly believe these people will want your blood inside them." She replied.

"Yeah. That's why I'm not going to put my blood in them directly." He said. "I just need to use a syringe. As long as they don't know it's my blood, they'll be fine."

"Do you think they'll let you do it?" She asked.

"I'm not going to be the one doing it." He said. "You are."

"Me?" She asked, a little dumbfounded. "But I'm an...Elf."

"Yes, you are." He replied. "You are a pure blooded Elf. Once they see you help them, their hatred of Elves will hopefully disappear."

"That's an awfully ambitious plan." She said.

"Ambitious, but if it could work, then some of the hate between Elves and Humans will disappear." He replied.

"Very well, I will help administer the 'medicine' for them." She replied, taking off her mask.

They made their way to the local hospital, where the doctors themselves were very ill, but did their best to care for others. When one of the doctor's noticed Max, they looked at him with hatred.

Because he was often abused in the village, they knew his face all too well. However, they never treated him with the same care as they did the other villagers, suffering from the same blind hatred of Elves as everyone else.

This disdain for him was amplified because of the effects on the village after his disappearance. They quickly deduced that he must have been responsible for the plague and other misfortunes that befell them.

"You aren't welcome here, Elves." The doctor said.

"I can help cure the village." Mariel said.

"Like we would ever trust you." Another doctor said. "Your kind are the ones who caused this."

"This happened because you mistreated him for years." She replied, becoming frustrated.

"Considering the Elves past misgivings, you expect us to treat you well?" The doctor replied.

"All livings things deserve good treatment by others." She said. "Regardless of that, this medicine is the only chance your village has for survival."

Although they still did not trust Mariel and Max, the doctors were inclined to accept their help. They had tried every medicine available to them and failed, so this was their only option. Reluctantly, they led them to one of the patient's rooms.

The particular patient had only recently gotten sick, so they thought there was no risk in trying to cure him before using the 'medicine' on other patients. Mariel dipped the syringe into a large container Max had brought with them which was filled with blood he produced earlier.

Although he felt rather weak from blood loss, he had managed to lift the heavy container across the town and into the hospital. She pulled back on the syringe, allowing the dark red liquid to flow into it. She then quickly pierced the man's arm with the needle, injecting the liquid into his body.

The man was unresponsive for several minutes, making the doctors in the room suspicious. However, after several minutes of waiting, he sat up in his bed, slightly dazed.

"Where am I?" He asked, rubbing his head.

"In the village hospital." One of the doctors said. "How do you feel?"

"Just a little tired. How did you cure me?" He asked.

"We didn't..." One nurse said. "They did."

The man looked at where the nurse pointed, spotting the beautiful woman with pointy ears sitting next to him. He also noticed Max sitting behind her, looking extremely weak and pale.

"Elves?" He asked. "Why would Elves help me?"

"Hatred between our races is meaningless." Mariel said. "That's what Max believes."

"Well, I'm not sure I should trust you. But at the very least, you have my thanks." The man replied.

"Don't mention it." Max said. "Mariel, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to rest for a short while."

"Would you like me to escort you to your home?" She asked.

"No. You need to heal the people here." He replied. "I'll rest in one of the hospital's empty rooms."

"Okay. Don't push yourself, Maximilien." She said.

He smiled and gave her a long soft kiss, then left to find an empty room to sleep in. When she turned back to the patient she cured, he seemed to be surprised.

"I didn't think he could ever find someone who was into him." He said.

"He is a good man." She replied, standing to go and cure the next patient. "Had you given him a chance, maybe you would have seen this."

Throughout the rest of the day, Mariel would inject the surviving villagers with Max's blood, which seemed not only to cure that particular disease, but every ailment the villagers had. By the time night fell, more than two thirds of the village had been cured, which began to change their opinion they shared about the nature of Elves.

Still, many villagers still distrusted Elves, believing there had to be an ulterior motive to assisting the village. Despite those who still held doubts, Mariel continued to work throughout the night until finally, everyone in the village had been cured of the disease.

The next day, with Max having rested enough to be of use again, he and Mariel decided to begin reconstructing the village's rotting wooden buildings. With his control over living matter, Max used the trees that surrounded the village to create new homes for everyone.

He then killed several animals for food and delivered them to the village to replace their foul food and water supply. In only a few hours, the village was completely rebuilt, although Max was exhausted by the end of the day.

Before there were any celebrations, however, a mass funeral had to be held for those who were killed by the harsh living conditions. When the sun had set, the bodies of everyone who had passed away were silently paraded through the center of the village.

They were buried in a nearby graveyard, with each of their graves dressed in colorful flowers and candles. For several hours, the villagers prayed for those who died, with Max and Mariel also taking part in the funeral.

When everyone had finished mourning, celebrations in the village began. The food that Max had brought to the village was cooked and made into a large feast. During the party, Max slipped away to his old house.

It was still surrounded with the lush paradise that Mariel had grown around it. Children happily climbed the trees and played with rabbits, since they were the only villagers permitted to enter the house's premises.

He sat on a chair inside his house and began to rest his head. Before he could finally fall asleep, there was a knock on his door. When he opened the door, the same men who always used to abuse him, the very same ones who nearly killed him when Max met Mariel, were standing in front of him.

He raised his guard, expecting them to try and be violent with him. However, after rather forcefully entering the home, they bowed towards him.

"You saved our wives from death. You have our gratitude." One of them said.

"I couldn't let people die because of me." Max replied, still a little on edge. "This village took care of me. I had to do something."

"We mistreated you for your heritage. You could have left." One of them said.

"Hatred and revenge never helped anyone." Max said. "I have no hard feelings towards you. We may be different, but we all have those we love. We all want to protect someone. In essence, we're all the same, so we should treat each other the same way."

"Please forgive us." They said, feeling guilt that they abused such a nice person.

"It's okay, guys. Trust me." He replied. "Go and celebrate with your families."

They nodded and quickly left him alone. As soon as they were gone, he fell onto a chair and quickly fell asleep. He rested for several hours. By the time he had woken up, it was already well past afternoon the next day. Mariel sat by his side, reading a book until he woke up.

"Good afternoon." She said when she noticed he was awake.

"Good afternoon." He said groggily. "How is everyone?"

"Healthy." She replied. "They seem to be thankful that we helped them."

"That's great. Sorry to make you give them my blood." He said. "I thought that since you're obviously an Elf, it would help us make a better impression."

"I do not mind." She replied. "So what's next?"

"I want to help people throughout Halkeginia for a while." He said. "We need to make sure people know that Elves can be allies instead of enemies. With the way the world is right now, there's lots of people who would gladly accept our help."

"Very well. Shall we depart?" She asked.

"Yeah. I think everyone will be healthy enough to hunt soon, so the food I brought them should be enough." He said, standing up and strapping his bow to his back.

Mariel nodded in agreement and followed him outside the house. They walked towards the village's gate, showered with thanks from the villagers they had saved.

They would spend the next 10 years working hard to make sure that equality would be restored between every race. Their efforts did not go unnoticed, as the leaders of Tristain, Gallia, and Albion at the time had all, at various points, invited the two to discuss their mission.

Of course, the decade they spent in Halkeginia was not all just comprised with work. Eight years into their ten year long journey, they stopped in a town famous for its hot springs to take a break from their relentless work.

"This water is so nice!" Max exclaimed as he sat in the warm hot spring.

"So relaxing..." Mariel replied as she let herself slide into the water.

"We really should take breaks more often." Max said.

"It's hard to take a break from helping the world." Mariel replied, letting herself sink until only half her face was visible above the water.

"Still, we have to take care of ourselves too." Max said. "I mean, we barely have time to ourselves."

"Well, it's not like there's much else we'd like to do." Mariel replied.

"Well...yeah." Max said, clearly hiding something.

"Oh? You had something in mind?" She asked, catching onto him.

"Well, we've known each other for a long time, right?" He asked.

"It's been nine years, so I would say so." She replied.

"And we love each other, right?" He asked, sinking deeper into the water to hide his cheeks.

"Of course I love you. What are you getting at?" She asked.

"I...thought of a way that we could bring humans and Elves closer together." He said.

"We're here to relax. No work." She said, slinking back down into the water.

"It's technically not work." He replied. "Have you ever...wanted kids?"

Mariel stared at him when he finished his sentence. For several seconds, they stared at each other, with Max anxiously waiting for her reply.

"I never thought of having children." She finally said, seemingly not realizing why he asked her.

"Not ever?" He asked again.

"I've never given it much thought before." She replied.

Max's heart sank when he heard her reply. He had recently been having daydreams about starting a family with her, so he was greatly looking forward to having a child with her.

"I never gave it much thought until I realized I loved you." She said, facing him as she sat on his lap.

His eyes widened and his cheeks turned bright red as he felt her skin on his body. It was very slippery because of the hot water and its own natural smoothness.

"You have?" Max asked, looking away from her since her chest was in bare view.

"Yeah." She replied, softly turning his head back towards her. "I'd be happy to start a family with you."

"I'm a nobody though." He said. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." She said, moving her face closer to his. "You're the only one for me."

"I'm just human though..." He said, although feeling her breath on his lips erased any hesitation from his mind.

"I don't care..." She said, finally letting her lips touch his.

They slowly started to kiss each other, holding each other's bodies close as if they'd disappear. The water in the spring started to ripple as they started to move more. Their chests moved rapidly in and out, touching each other as they're tongues wrestled in their mouths.

Max's hands slowly moved down her back to her waist underwater. As his slid over her soft rump, he became more and more aroused. Believing it rude to do such things in a hot spring, they decided to go to the resort's hotel.

When they arrived in their room, they continued where they left off, with Max pinning Mariel to their bed. Already extremely aroused by their previous foreplay, he quickly moved inside her. She let out a very feminine moan as he started to move back and forth.

For several hours, they would pleasure themselves, switching between various positions, tasting each other, feeling each other until finally, they were nearing their limit.

Max was about to remove himself from her before he climaxed, but then realized he was trying to start a family. With both of them letting out several moans, saying each other's names, they reached their climaxes at the same time.

They remained in the same position for several minutes before Max finally moved out of her, laying at her side. He was panting from exhaustion. Because Mariel was a particularly powerful person, her stamina wore him out.

"Thanks..." Max said after catching his breath.

"For what?" Mariel asked, clinging to his body.

"The chance to start a family with you." He replied. "It means a lot to me."

"Of course." She said. "I want this just as much as you do."

"I love you." He said, hugging her close to him.

"I love you too." She replied, smiling as she let herself be hugged.

Max felt incredibly happy to have deepened his relationship with Mariel. Little did he know, however, that this day would soon bring tragedy to both him, and his new family.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **So what do you guys think? The next chapter will be the last in this series about Maximilien's past. I wanted it to be rounded off in a nice number of chapters, so I made sure it made it to 5. Send me a PM. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. Especially since one of the characters will attain new powers very soon. No spoilers! Thanks for reading guys (and gals)!**


	70. Chapter 70: Maximilien and Mariel V

**Chapter 70: Maximilien and Mariel V**

Max and his lover walked through the forest in the middle of winter. About two feet of snow blanketed the ground they walked on, making progress much slower than normal. He was carrying her on his back, despite her many protests.

"Maxi, I can walk by myself." She said to him.

"Our child will be born soon." He replied. "I've been waiting for this day for more than a year. I don't want you wasting any energy."

"But we're not that far away from the portal." She said. "I can walk that far."

"No. I'm going to make sure you're well rested." He replied as he neared the portal to her world.

"Why can't the child be born in this world?" She asked

"Well, people already know you and I are having a kid here." He said. "The world has really softened up to Elves, but there might still be humans who are opposed to the idea. It's dangerous. Besides, your world has better technology anyway, so delivering the baby will be easier."

"The people in my world are much less fond of a relationship between Elves and humans." She replied. "If they find out that this child is the offspring of a Human and and Elf, it might be in danger."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." Max said. "You and Sasha are really powerful, so I doubt anyone will try anything. Even if they do, I'm strong enough to stop them."

"Very well." She replied. "The baby will be born in a few days. We should be thinking of names."

Max, have finally reached the portal, spoke in the Elvish tongue taught to him by Mariel to open the gate. As he walked through it and towards her mountain, he started to think of what she had just said.

"Well, we don't even know if it's a girl or a boy yet." He replied.

"We could come up with two names. One for a boy, and one for a girl." She said.

"So what do you have in mind?" He asked.

"I'm not so sure. Something that reminds me of you." She replied

"What if it's a girl?" He asked.

"We'll figure it out when the time comes." She said.

"Okay. I'll keep thinking of names in the meantime." He said as he got closer to the mountain's entrance.

"Think nice and hard." Mariel replied, resting her head on his back.

"By the way, how do you think Sasha will react to this?" He asked. "Its been ten years since we've seen her. Finding out that you're pregnant might be a shock for her."

"We'll find out when we see her." Mariel replied. "She's in the mountain. I can feel her presence."

Max took a deep breath, knowing that what was about to happen could be an ordeal. He quickly made his way inside and out of the cold, laying Mariel down on a warm soft bed. As he tucked her into bed, he heard someone walking behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Sasha standing in the doorway. Because she was wearing her usual blank expression, he couldn't read what she might be feeling, so he waited for her to say something to him.

"It has been quite some time since we last saw each other." She said.

"Ummm, yeah." Max said. "How have you been?"

"Very well." She replied. "I have heard good stories about your work in the human world."

"You have?" He asked. "How?"

"My sons keep watch over the human world and report back to me every so often." She said.

"Ah, so they were watching me?" He asked.

"No. Many in your world already know about you and my sister's work." She replied.

"Oh, I guess you would hear about it sooner or later then, huh?" He said, sitting on the bed.

"Sister, why are you in bed?" Sasha asked, looking towards her elder sister.

Because Max had covered her in several layers of thick blankets, it made it difficult for Sasha to see the bump on Mariel's stomach.

"I'm just...tired." Mariel replied, doing her best to hide the truth.

"Is that so?" Sasha asked, slowly walking closer.

"Yes. Why?" Mariel asked, becoming nervous.

"You're hiding something, sister." Sasha said as she stood next to her sister.

"Your eyes deceive you, little sister." Mariel replied.

Sasha narrowed her eyes and looked down at her sister. As her eyes narrowed, they seemed to start glowing in a bright emerald color. After a few seconds, the glow disappeared and she quickly looked at Max, her beautiful green eyes seeming to pierce his soul.

"What have you done to my sister?" She asked.

Max could see that her fingers were beginning to twitch as she tried to resist reaching for her axe which hanged from her back. Knowing her patience was being worn thin, Max decided to be truthful before she finally snapped.

"We're going to have a family." He said quickly.

"Nonsense. Mariel pledged to never have children." Sasha said, becoming more aggressive in her speaking. "She would not go back on her word. Especially not with a human."

"Sister, he tells the truth." Mariel interjected. "The child will be born soon. In only a few days."

"Was this done against your will?" Sasha asked.

"Absolutely not." Mariel replied.

Sasha looked back at Max, who seemed frightened, then finally sighed, relaxing her muscles from their previously tense position.

"Why did you come here to give birth, sister?" Sasha asked. "The Humans seem to be more accepting of Elves. You very easily could have used one of the Human hospitals."

"Maxi thought our technology would let the process be more fluid." Mariel replied. "He was also worried about us being attacked there. Because of my relation to you, it's unlikely that anyone will harm us here."

"If you came through the gate to this world, there is no doubt someone saw you here." Sasha said. "I would not be surprised if word has already spread that you're expecting."

"Perhaps. I will be careful." Mariel said.

"It is not you I am worried about." Sasha said, looking at her sister's belly. "I will allow you to rest. Protect her, Max."

"I will protect my family with my life." Max replied.

"How very noble." Sasha said as she left the room. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Max made sure to keep his promise, staying by Mariel's side for several days. He only ever moved to bring her food or drinks to keep her comfortable. Any time she seemed even minutely uncomfortable, he would somewhat overreact, tending to her every whim.

One day, he gathered water from a nearby spring. When he stood up to go back to Mariel, he felt the presence of several people. Using the trees that surrounded him, he could scout the area around the mountain.

Several people of mixed races were watching him from a distance. He could feel that they were hostile, so he hurried back inside. When he reached Mariel's room, he could see that she was tense. Not only could she feel the hostile presence outside, but she was about to go into labor.

Because Max read several books on both magic and sciences, he knew, more or less, how to deliver a child. It was a painful experience for him and Mariel both, as it took quite a strain on Max's mind. It was less painful for Mariel than it otherwise would have been because of the several medicines she was given to dull the pain.

After several hours, Max had managed to safely deliver the baby. It was a boy with pale skin and was incredibly small. He put it on a soft smaller bed next to Mariel's, then checked on her to see if she was okay.

She was breathing heavily and was very faint from her ordeal, but was ready to hold her child. Wrapped in a blanket, Max slowly laid the baby into her arms. When it was in its mother's arms, it stopped fussing, giving Mariel a chance to see its face.

As tears flowed down her face as the child grabbed her fingers with its little hands, Max was focusing on the hostility he felt outside in the forest. It was making him tense, but he decided to wait before confronting Mariel about it.

After a few minutes, he finally turned towards his 'wife' to talk to her about the situation outside the mountain.

"Mariel, I suspect the people outside want to harm the child." He said.

"You are strong enough to kill them if need be." She replied.

"I can't kill them." He said. "It will give everyone here more reason to hate Humans. If they choose to harm Humanity because of this, there is nothing Humans can do to stop them."

"I suppose. Then what will you do?" She asked.

Max thought for a while. Harming those people was out of the question, so he had to think of a way to get the child into the human world.

"You are too weak to run quickly at the moment, right?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." She said.

With the current circumstances, he finally had an idea.

"Listen to me, Mariel." He began. "In a few days when you are able to walk, I want you to make your way to the portal."

"It will be more than a few days before I'm capable of making quick progress." She said.

"I know. I will protect you on your way there." He said.

"How?" She asked.

"This land is filled with trees and plants." He replied. "I can manipulate them to keep those people at bay while you escape."

"Using that magic takes a lot out of you. How will you escape?" She asked.

"I'm sure I'll have enough energy to escape. Don't worry." He said, although there was doubt in his voice. "Just relax for now."

Although she wanted to argue, she didn't have the energy to do so. She laid her head back onto her pillow, handing her son back to Max so he could lay him in his pen.

They sat rather silently in the room, with the only sound being the baby's soft cooing. For the next three days, they would pass the time by talking about how they would raise the baby.

On the third day, Mariel decided that she could run, albeit it slowly. She was highly skeptical of Max's plan, but chose to go along with it since they didn't have many options.

"Why can't you take the baby to the Human world? Why must I go?" She asked.

"Sasha isn't here to protect you at the moment." Max said. "The only thing keeping them from killing you and the baby is knowing that I'm here. If I take the baby and leave you here, you could get hurt."

"Very well." She said. "I'm ready to go."

"Listen, Mariel. If for whatever reason I'm not able to make it back to my world, don't bring our child back here." Max said.

"I am well aware." She said, wrapping the baby in several layers of warm blankets.

Fearing the worst, he gave Mariel a long kiss before they were to depart. When they left the mountain, Max kept his family very close to him. As they walked on a road in the forest, their path was blocked by a group of twelve Elves.

"Why do you block my path?" Mariel asked.

"Lord Mariel, why do you acquaint yourself with this human?" One of them asked.

"Who I acquaint myself with is none of your concern." She replied.

"We know you carry a human child with you." Another said. "Humans are banned in this land. Dispose of it."

"This child is mine, I will not dispose of it." Mariel said.

"Mariel, go to the portal." Max said. "I will handle these ones."

The trees around them wrapped around the group of Elves, restraining them in their positions. Mariel took this chance to begin the journey to the portal. Several other people of differing races seemingly appeared out of thin air to go after her, but they were all stopped by the surrounding trees.

It did not take long for them to realize that Max was the one controlling the life around them, so they cut themselves free with their magic and came after him.

Because Mariel was still very weakened from having a child, she could not move quickly, meaning the trip from Max's location to the portal would take several hours. During this time, Max would constantly have to protect her and himself.

This wasn't much of a problem while she was within ten kilometers from him, however, as she got further away, it took more and more energy to control the trees closest to her. Because he was devoting more energy to protecting her from incoming enemies than to fighting for himself, he soon began to take small injuries.

He was able to force his body to heal the injuries more quickly, but he knew that he could only do that so much before depleting all of the magic he had left.

By the seventh hour, he was nearly out of magic. He had sustained rather grievous wounds, but was still standing, making sure not to harm any of his enemies. It was clear at this time that he could not withstand another onslaught of attacks.

He knew that there would be no way for him to escape, so he decided to use all of his remaining magic to ensure that Mariel could escape. Just as his enemies were about to attack him again, Max was able to feel that Mariel had gone through the portal to the human world.

He let out a sigh of relief, knowing that his family was safe. Knowing that regardless of what he did, the Elves would not let him live, he lessened his guard just as their swords were about to land, letting them pierce his body.

Six spears skewered his body from his sides, back, and abdomen. He coughed up blood and fell on one knee. When they removed their weapons from his body, he fell onto his back, staring up at the night sky, filled with millions of stars.

He wasn't in any pain as his blood spilled from his body, dying the snow on the ground in a rich red color. He thought about how he didn't want to die, but was at the same time happy that he was dying saving his family. After several minutes of silence, his eyes finally became glazed over and his heart stopped beating.

As this happened, Mariel walked through the forests of Gallia, waiting for Max to walk through the portal. However, after several hours, she began to realize that he might not come to meet her. Still, she held out hope that he was alive. Perhaps her kin decided to capture him rather than kill him.

Still, she remembered what he told her, knowing that she had to leave her son in the human world, at least temporarily. She made her way towards the village she met him in so many years ago, knowing that they would take care of her son in her absence.

She slowly made her way to the village, where upon her arrival, they readily opened their gates to welcome her with open arms. They asked her several questions about her travels, which she quickly answered before explaining why she was there.

"I will need this village's assistance." She said.

"How may we help you?" The leader of the village, an old polite man, asked.

"I require you to take care of this child." She said, unwrapping the baby from his layers of blankets.

"But this child is yours." The man replied. "Can you or Maximilien not care for him?"

"Maximilien...is gone." She said, although she was having trouble coming to terms with reality.

"Gone? What do you mean?" He asked.

"The people in my world do not like humanity." She said. "In order to save this child, he...protected us. He has passed away in the process."

"I...I'm so sorry." He said. "I am sure we can find this boy someone who will care for him here."

"Thank you." She replied with tears streaming down her face. "I must go back to my land. Please do take care of him."

"Do not worry. He will be looked after." The man replied, holding the baby in his hands. "What is his name?"

"Alexandre." She said. "His name is Alexandre."

"A lovely choice." The man said. "We Humans will surely not forget about what you and Max did for both races. We will surely mourn for a great amount of time."

"Thank you." She replied as she walked towards the village gate.

She left the village slowly and in a solemn mood. When she reached the portal, she approached it with hesitation, but eventually chose to walk through it. Once back in her world, she quickly went back to where she last saw Max.

When she arrived, her eyes immediately laid upon a body surrounded by red snow. Knowing that he refused to harm any of her kin, she knew immediately that it was him. She rushed to his side, with faint hope that he may be alive.

However, these hopes were shattered as soon as she saw the wounds in his abdomen. She knew that it happened several hours ago, so there was no way for him to have survived. On his face, his eyes had remained open.

Reminding her of the first time she met him, he had died wearing a smile, something which fit his personality. As she knelt over his body, silently shedding tears, several people surrounded her from a distance, observing her.

After several minutes, she lifted his body, carrying it back into her mountain. She spent the night cleaning his body, already thinking about burying him. As she cleaned his body, she heard several explosions outside. After a few minutes, Sasha ran into the room where Mariel was dressing Max's wounds.

"Elder sister, how is he?!" She asked, showing more emotion than usual.

"He is gone, little sister." Mariel replied

"I'm sorry, sister." Sasha said, putting her hand on her sister's shoulder. "They will be sent to trial."

"Everyone hates humans here." Mariel replied. "A trial is meaningless."

"Where is the child?" She asked.

"With Maxi's old village." She replied. "They will keep him safe."

"I will leave you be for now." Sasha said. "I'm sorry."

One week later, a trial was held for all of those who were found responsible for Max's death. As Mariel had predicted, most people found them innocent, owing to their hatred of humans. At the very least, however, they allowed for him to be buried in the kingdom.

Mariel personally constructed his marble tomb, where his sarcophogus was to be laid. She made sure no one was capable of going near it except for her and her son by placing a spell in the surrounding area.

When she was finished, she placed a spell on his body, allowing it to remain preserved for as long as her magic supplied it with power. Sealing the tomb, she left him to rest, resolving herself to never go back to the human world unless it involved her son.

After a his death, she pretended as if her family didn't exist. For the next eighteen years, she would watch over Alex as he grew up with her gifted sight. But once he reached an age that he could care for himself, she could no longer see him clearly.

Whenever the subject of her family would come up, she would change it immediately to something more jovial. On the outside, she seemed extremely happy. Her sister, however, could see that on the inside, Mariel was grieving.

She could never recover from the pain of losing her husband or her son.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **And that concludes this "arc" about Max and Mariel's backstory. Hope you liked it, although I definitely rushed it in the last two chapters. Or at least, it feels that way. If you have any questions or ideas, you can send me a PM or a Review. See you next time!**


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71**

 **Present Day**

Alex sat in silence after he had heard how his parents met. Max had just finished explaining how he met Mariel and how he died, so Alex chose to take time to be alone. He sat in a room staring into a fireplace. His face was rather blank as he processed the story of how his father lived.

"How do you feel, Alex?" Saito asked, having come to check on him.

"I'll be fine." He replied after a short pause. "I'm actually glad that my father was...someone I can look up to."

"I'm happy for you." Saito said, sitting next to him.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Once all this is over, you'll get to be part of a family with your parents." Saito said. "Family is important."

Alex could tell that Saito was beginning to think of his deceased parents and sister, so he tried to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"I can't wait to introduce him to Shion properly." He said.

"How are her eyes, by the way?" Saito asked. "What did Aigle do?"

"The same thing Mariel did to Louise. She's infused her eyes with magic to help them heal." He replied. "It'll be a while before she can remove her bandages."

"That's not good. She's a capable fighter. We'll need her soon." Saito said.

"I'll have to protect her for now." Alex said. "Her other senses are pretty strong too, so if she needs to protect herself, she should be okay."

"I'll go make sure she's still asleep. You should go back to your parents." Saito said, walking out of the room.

Alex nodded and followed Saito down the hallway. Eventually, Saito went off to check on Shion while Alex continued onward to find his parents. When Saito arrived at Shion's room, it was pitch black inside, although with his eyes, he could see that she was sitting up in bed. She was covered in her blanket and was clearly agitated.

"How are you feeling, Shion?" Saito asked.

"They hurt." She said silently. "My eyes."

"Did the medicine help at all?" Saito asked.

"I slept very quickly, but woke up in pain soon afterwards." She replied, holding her face.

"Describe the pain." Saito said.

"As if my eyes are constantly being put under a lot of strain." She replied, struggling to speak. "It comes in waves."

"Would you like me to give you more medicine?" Saito asked.

"No. Where is Alex?" She asked.

"He went to be with his parents." Saito replied.

"Take me to him, please." She said. "I'd prefer not to be alone here."

Saito decided it was probably best to take her to Alex. Not so that she could be with him, but so that Mariel could make sure nothing unusual was happening to her.

He helped her sit in a wheelchair nearby, then made his way down the hallways to the room where Alex would be. On the way there, Saito could feel that she was extremely irritated. Her magic was wayward and unsettled. Something strange especially for her, who was usually extremely calm and collected.

The metallic feathers on her wings individually twitched as if in discomfort, making a strange rustling sound that echoed through the hallways. Saito could tell that she couldn't control it, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"She must want to be with Alex so that she feels calm." Saito thought to himself.

Before long, they arrived in the room where Alex was. Alex was conversing with his parents about his time growing up, something which they both listened to intently. They were quite saddened to hear how he had resorted to becoming an assassin and mercenary, but were rather proud of him nevertheless.

When they noticed Saito standing in the doorway, they ended their conversation and turned their attention towards him and Shion.

"Why did you bring her here?" Alex asked. "Wasn't she supposed to be asleep?"

"The medicine put her to sleep, but not for long." Saito said. "I guess she'll feel more comfortable if you're here."

"Oh, okay then." Alex said, holding her hand.

She visibly calmed down when she felt him hold her hand, making Alex feel relieveed. After several moments, Max decided to ask about who she was.

"Alex, who is this young lady?" He asked.

"She's my wife, Shion." Alex replied, gently rubbing her face.

"You're married?!" He exclaimed.

"I never got to that part of the story, huh?" He said. "Technically, we never had an official marriage. Things have been so hectic."

"So how did you two meet, exactly." He asked.

Alex was hesitant to answer. He didn't know the best way to tell his father that t hey met while trying to kill a king.

"We met during a mission." Shion finally said.

"Fair enough. I am Maximilien, Alex's father. It's nice to meet you." Max said.

"I'll leave you guys to discuss that." Saito said, turning around to leave. "I'm going to go outside for a little while."

He quickly left, not wanting to intrude on a conversation between family members. On his way to the mountain's entrance, he encountered Louise, who decided to go with him. They walked outside rather silently, with both of their heads filled with possibilities about what could happen.

As they walked, Louise's ears twitched. She didn't hear anything at all, but something in her surroundings felt strange. She didn't say anything to Saito, who didn't seem to feel it. However, suddenly, she pushed him flat on the ground.

"What the hell was that for?!" He asked.

"Stay down!" She said.

Just as she finished her sentence, the surrounding trees were all cut cleanly near their bases, where Saito and Louise would have stood, leaving nothing but stumps. Saito immediately activated his eye, looking around for anyone who could be responsible.

However, he couldn't see anyone in the surrounding area. They stood with their backs turned towards one another. As they looked around, Louise used her magic to detected anything nearby. Eventually, she felt someone above them. When she looked up, she saw a winged person, floating in the skies above them.

"Saito! What is that?!" She asked.

He focused his eyes on the person above them. It was a man who possessed six wings covered in maroon feathers. He had shoulder length white hair that fell over his piercing red eyes. He was wearing a pair of long black pants and had no shirt, showing his mildly muscular build.

"Who is it?" Louise asked again.

"I don't know." He replied. "I don't think we should fight right now though."

"We can't allow him to follow us back to the mountain." Louise replied.

"Do you think we're strong enough to fight him alone?" Saito asked.

"I don't know." She replied. "But fighting someone who is capable of flight like him will be difficult."

As they strategized, the man quickly flew towards the mountain, causing Saito and Louise to be alarmed. They immediately followed him as fast they could. When they arrived, they saw him launch several attacks at the mountain, managing to bypass the defensive spells Mariel had set, exposing some of the inner rooms and hallways to the air outside.

Inside, Alex rushed Shion to safety, despite her insisting that she could help. When he arrived outside, everyone else was already staring up at the winged person who floated above them.

"Who is it?" Sasha asked Louise.

"That's what I was going to ask you." She replied.

"He seems familiar." Mariel said.

"Sister, do you think we will require Max's help?" Sasha asked.

"No. There's several of us." She replied.

They stared at the man, waiting for him to make his move. It was eerily silent as he hovered effortlessly above the ground. Just before they were about to attack first, he began to speak.

"This world of Elves now belongs to me." He said.

It was an extremely monotone voice, as if he was speaking in his sleep.

"What does he mean?" Saito asked himself.

"You should be more worried about your human allies." He said.

As he spoke this sentence, he vanished into thin air, leaving the group bewildered about what happened.

"Who was that?" Alex asked.

"More importantly, what exactly was he talking about?" Vittorio asked. "Shall we go to the human world from here?"

"What he said could be a trap." Saito said. "What if he wants us to leave this land?"

"But there is still a possibility that the humans are in danger." Louise said.

"Perhaps some of us should go to the human world." Bartholomew said.

"But what if their plan is to split us up?" Alex asked.

"We can't all afford to leave this place." Mariel said.

After a few minutes of silent thought, Saito finally made his own decision.

"I'm going back to the human world." He said.

"You can't go alone." Louise said. "If you're going to go, I'm coming with you."

"I'm coming too." Alex said. "I'm not leaving you guys alone."

"You have to protect Shion." Louise said.

"She'll be safe here." Alex said. "It's not like the enemy is after her. Besides, Aigle is here just in case something goes wrong."

"Well, I can't force you to stay, but at least discuss it with her before you make a decision." Louise said.

"Fine." Alex said, although he didn't seem to like the idea.

He went back inside the mountain to a the room where he left his wife. It was near the center of the mountain so that she was as far away from any incoming danger as possible.

"What happened?" She quietly asked when he arrived.

"The human world might be in danger." He replied. "I'm...going to go with Saito and Louise to make sure everything is okay."

"I'll come with you." She said, although her eyes were still in pain.

In the rooms light, Alex could see that the bandages that wrapped around her head were beginning to develop dark stains on her eyes.

"You can't fight right now." He said. "I'm going to leave you here with Aigle."

"I want to come with you." She said stubbornly, although it was becoming harder for her to keep talking.

"You need to heal." He replied, undoing the bandages so that he could replace them.

When they were removed, he could see that her eyes were bleeding slightly, making it look like she was crying tears of blood. Otherwise, they seemed fairly normal, save for a very dull purple glow shining through her eyelids, which Alex assumed was from the magic working on her eyes.

"I won't be gone for long." He replied. "We'll have this all sorted before you know it."

"I can help you without my eyesight." She said.

"Maybe you can, but you could get hurt." He replied, wrapping new bandages around her head. "If you get better before we get back, feel free to come and help us."

"Fine..." She said, rather reluctantly. "I'll be with you as soon as I can."

He smiled at her, stroking her flowing silver hair. He slowly gave her a kiss, which she enjoyed for as long as she could. When he pulled away, she was hesitant to let go of him, but allowed him to leave her after kissing his cheek.

"Don't worry, I won't die." He said as he walked out of the room.

"I know." She replied quietly, although there was a great amount of doubt in her voice.

When Alex arrived outside, Louise and Saito were already prepared to depart to Gallia. When they noticed him, they both wondered how it went, but noticed that he was seemingly devastated by having to leave her.

"Are you ready to go?" Saito asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "Is it just us going?"

"Yeah. Everyone else is going to find Brimir." Louise said. "Sasha thinks he's most likely in this kingdom."

"I see. What if we need help?" He asked.

"I can open a world door back here if things go wrong." Louise said.

"Alright." Alex said, taking a deep breath.

Louise opened pointed her finger at a clear space, causing an ovular portal to materialize. Louise and Saito quickly stepped through it, but Alex was somewhat hesitant. As he slowly stepped through the portal, an image of Shion wearing a beautiful smile entered his head.

Just as he was about to decide to go back for her, the world door closed behind him, leaving him in the human world. Although his heart ached, a feeling that he still wasn't used to, he took a deep breath and followed Louise and Saito to their first destination, Tristania.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72**

Louise, Saito, and Alex walked through the countryside of Tristain on their way to Tristania. They had been traveling for a few hours since arriving in the human world. Nothing seemed out of order, which was somewhat disconcerting.

"Everything's normal..." Alex said.

"We haven't reached a big city yet." Saito replied. "Once we do, we can ask around and see if anything strange has happened."

"Still, everything seems pretty calm." Louise said, looking at the wildlife around them.

"The academy is nearby." Saito said. "We should stop there and see how everything is."

"We shouldn't stay for too long." Alex said in an unusually impatient tone.

"Shion will be fine, Alex." Louise said. "I know you must be worried."

"Aigle and your father will protect her." Saito said. "If worst comes to worst, she is more than capable of protecting herself. So don't worry."

"Alright. Thanks guys." Alex replied, feeling a little better.

Before long, the Tristain Academy of Magic stood on the horizon. The trio rushed to its gates, which were quickly opened once the guards recognized the crowns that rested on their heads. When they walked onto the academy's grounds, the students who had been on their lunch break immediately gravitated towards them.

All of the girls surrounded Saito and especially Alex, who they considered extremely good looking. All the guys surrounded Louise. She had grown taller in the time between summoning Saito as her familiar and the present day, although she was still shorter than Saito. Her chest had also grown rather significantly in that time. Her breasts weren't large, but were at least noticable. All of these things combined with her slightly more muscular body added to her sex appeal, meaning several guys were now interested in her.

The trio were flooded with a variety of questions.

"Are you human?" One of the girls asked Saito. "You have a tail and fangs. You can't be human, right?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Several others asked Alex with a sense of hope.

"If you ever get tired of Saito, I'm free!" Several guys told Louise.

It was all very overwhelming for them. Feeling increasingly claustrophobic, they all quickly disappeared, leaving the crowd bewildered. They three found a quiet place to sit on the other side of the academy.

As they relaxed after having escaped the barrage of questions, they were discovered by Tabitha, Malicorne, Kirche, Guiche, and Montmorency, who had heard the commotion caused by the trio's arrival.

"Hello, Louise." Montmorency said.

"Hello, Montmorency." Louise replied. "We're only stopping by for a little while."

"Who is this?" Kirche asked, staring at Alex, who she found very attractive.

"I'm King Alexandre." Alex replied, bowing towards her.

"King?" She said to herself, not remembering that she saw him being crowned.

"Yes. Of Alexandria." He replied.

Realizing that his title of King was legitimate, she quickly bowed.

"I apologize. I'm Kirche." She replied.

"Kirche. So you're the one who..." He said, but stopped before finishing his sentence. "Nice to meet you."

"What are you guys doing here?" Guiche asked.

"We're on our way to Tristania." Louise said. "We need to speak to Henrietta urgently."

"Did something happen?" Malicorne asked.

"It doesn't look like something has happened yet." Alex replied. "We need to leave."

"Alright." Saito replied. "Let's hurry to the palace. I'll see you guys later."

With that, they departed for Henrietta's palace, leaving their friends baffled by their circumstances. Because they were in a hurry, they arrived in less than an hour to the city of Tristania, which was still undergoing reconstruction following the Germanian War.

They were immediately allowed into the palace, where they rushed to her room. She was sitting at her desk working on a large stack of documents.

"It's good to see you." She said without looking up.

"Likewise." Saito replied. "Listen, has anything out of the ordinary happened while we've been gone?"

"Not at all." She replied. "What makes you ask?"

"Just ask the other leaders if they've noticed anything." Louise said.

"If you insist." Henrietta replied, looking very fatigued.

"Don't work yourself too hard." Saito said. "Take care of yourself."

As they walked through the hallways of her palace, they were rather upset that they hadn't found anything wrong. It confused them, increasing the amount of anxiety they already had inside of them.

"What the hell is going on?" Alex asked as they drank tea at a nearby cafe.

"I don't know." Saito replied. "What did he mean when he said we should be concerned about the human world?"

"He said the Elves' world already belongs to him." Louise said, trying to come up with an idea. "If we can figure out what he meant by that, perhaps we could figure out his next plan."

"There's no one left in the Kingdom, so what's there for him to own?" Alex said to himself.

"The...people?" Louise said, her eyes widening upon her realization. "Do you think he meant that he's going to gain control of everyone here? He doesn't seem to be interested in taking land."

"But there haven't been any reports of disappearances or deaths here." Alex said. "He must not have come here yet."

"Still, we can't be too sure." Saito said. "Let's stay for a few days and make sure nothing is wrong."

"I want to go back to Shion." Alex said.

"She'll be fine. It'll only be a short time." Louise said.

"If you insist..." Alex said, obviously worried for Shion's well being.

 **Twelve Days Later**

Shion sat in a room deep within the mountain, anxiously waiting for Alex to return to her. Her eyes were no longer in searing pain, but they were still very irritable.

"Would you like to get some sunlight?" Aigle asked.

"No thank you, Ms. Aigle." Shion replied.

"You can't worry about him forever." Aigle said.

"How is Father?" She asked, choosing not to pursue the subject.

"Father?" Aigle asked. "Oh, Maximilien. I suppose he is your father-in-law. He's fine. I released him from his physical restraints, but the restraints on his power reserves remain active."

"I see. That's good to know." She replied.

"How do your eyes feel?" Aigle asked, unwrapping the stained bandages that covered them.

"They aren't painful." Shion replied. "They feel like they have sand in them."

When the bandages were off, Aigle examined the area surrounding them. She no longer looked like she was crying tears of blood, although her silver eyelashes were stained with blood.

"I'll need you to open your eyes." Aigle said. "I'll give you an eye drop which will stop the irritation. After that, I'll bandage them up again."

Shion nodded and slowly opened her eyelids. Before Aigle could apply the liquid to Shion's eyes, she let out a slight gasp when she saw them.

"What's wrong?" Shion asked.

Aigle quickly cleared her throat and applied the solution to Shion's eyes.

"Nothing." She said, beginning to wrap up her eyes again. "When your eyes were open, could you see?"

"It was very blurry, but yes." Shion said.

"Then the operation was a success after all." Aigle sighed.

"Why did you gasp when you saw them?" Shion asked.

"It's nothing. I simply suspect that they've undergone a cosmetic change because of the magic that has been used on them." Aigle replied. "How do they feel now?"

"They feel soothed." Shion replied. "Also..."

"Also what?" Aigle asked.

"In all my life, I always used my physical power to complete my missions." She said. "I wasn't very good at using magic, but I can still feel it within myself."

"Oh? How fascinating." Aigle said.

"I can feel it flowing into my eyes more than it did before. Is that normal?" She asked.

"It's most likely your body trying to accustom itself to your eyes." Aigle said. "Just relax. It'll come to pass."

As Aigle said this, Shion became very obviously agitated. She stood straight up from her wheel chair and doused all of the lights in the room. She dragged Aigle to one of the corners of the room, then remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Aigle asked.

"Quiet." Shion said stiffly.

Aigle looked through the door of the room. Although there was hardly any light, her eyes were able to somewhat see the room and the hallways outside. As she was about to ask Shion what was wrong again, someone seemed to float by the doorway

She couldn't quite tell what kind of person it was. She felt no magic coming from them, so she didn't know if they were friend or foe. However, Shion was acting very nervous and irritated, so she assumed it was an enemy.

"We need to get out of here." Aigle said, leading Shion out of the room when the person was gone.

She quickly walked through the hallways of the mountain, dragging Shion by her hand behind her. On their way out, they encountered Max, who had also felt that someone foreign was in the mountain, but due to having his magic restrained, he couldn't make out his identity.

They quickly made their way towards the mountain's exit. Before long, the light from outside became visible. As they were about to go outside, they heard a strange sound behind them. It sounded like a very high pitched whine.

Knowing that it was probably the unknown person, Shion began to beat her massive silver wings. It gave them enough speed for them to make it outside just before a white beam of magic shot through the mountain's entrance.

The trio tumbled down the slope of the mountain before it evened out. When Aigle and Max looked back at the entrance they just fell out of, it was surrounded by thick smoke. Out of the smoke walked a blonde haired man with piercing blue eyes.

"Is that..?" Max began.

"Brimir." Aigle confirmed. "This is bad..."

"Why is he here?" Shion asked.

"Does he want Mariel's secrets within the mountain?" Max said to himself. "Aigle, I need my magic right now."

"It would take too long to unrestrain." Aigle said.

As they spoke, another attack landed close by, causing a large explosion. The explosion lightly burned Max's arm, but he was otherwise okay. However, as soon as the dust settled, a beam of light shot towards them, grazing Shion's head.

The attack cut her hair on the right side of her head as well as the bandage that wrapped around her eyes. Not giving them a chance to regroup, Brimir shot a ball of light at the ground. Instinctively, Shion opened her eyes.

They opened just in time to see the ball of light flying towards her. As it was about to land, threatening to kill them, she shut her eyes, prepared for death. She heard the sound of the explosion, but death did not come.

When she opened her eyes, a magenta colored semi-transparent barrier separated her, Aigle, and Max from the attack sent by Brimir. She wasn't sure what it was, but it had protected her and her allies from death, so for the time being, she was grateful.

"What is that?" Aigle asked.

"I don't know..." Shion replied after a few seconds.

Her eyes were burning and felt strained as the barrier remained active, but as soon as it disappeared, the discomfort also vanished. Brimir stopped his attacks, seemingly not wanting to make a rash decision, giving them a chance to create a strategy.

"We can't fight him." Shion said. "We will have to stall and wait for help."

"I am not a fighter." Aigle said. "I am not capable of holding him off."

"I can fight, but my magic is restrained." Max said. "How long will it take for the restraints to be removed?"

"About a minute." Aigle said. "That is too long when fighting Brimir."

"I can buy you that much time." Shion said, looking up at the blonde man floating in the air.

"That's too dangerous!" Aigle said. "You should not be using your eyes anyway!"

"I'm fine." Shion said. "Just do it."

Realizing that this was no time to argue, she began the process of releasing the binds that restricted Max's use of magic. As Aigle muttered a series of spells under her breath, Shion focused her magic towards her eyes, although it was extremely difficult.

The same magenta colored barrier manifested itself, albeit slightly larger. She withstood the pain in her eyes, waiting for the blonde man who many considered a god to attack.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! It has been a while, I know. Yes, Shion is getting powers related to her eyes. And before anyone says it, yes, I'll take inspiration from power like the Sharingan. But no, I will not outright rip off those powers...probably. Also, I am rather uncomfortable with how I'm writing recently, so I may take some time to reorganize or rewrite story elements. Anyway, see you next time!**


	73. Chapter 73: The Human World

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! I'm back to posting after a month long hiatus. Feel free to shout at me :)**

 **Chapter 73: The Human World**

Sasha and her comrades sat in the woods, replenishing their energy from their travel. The mood was rather grim as everyone sat in silence, eating the deer they hunted for food.

"How do you think everyone else is doing?" Mariel asked.

"Worried about your family?" Sasha asked.

Mariel nodded, clearly worried about their well being.

"Maximilien is strong." Sasha said. "He'll protect Shion. Your son is strong enough to protect himself as well. Besides, he has those two monsters with him if anything goes wrong."

"Monsters?" Vittorio asked. "Saito yeah, but I don't see how his wife is so special. Even if she's a void mage."

"The girl possesses more magic than I do." Sasha said, taking a bite of meat.

"She's so small though..." Oliviére said. "To say that she is as strong as you is a stretch, isn't it? Even for a void mage."

"No. She has more raw power, but she lacks the refinement that I do." Sasha said. "This is to be expected given her age. In time, she will surpass me."

"You sound proud, Sasha." Mariel said.

"Shut up." Sasha replied, laying on her back.

"You should let yourself be a little more open like you used to be." Mariel said.

"I said shut up, sister." Sasha replied. "I am content with how I am."

Before Mariel could reply, she felt a sensation in her body. Sasha, too, felt the presence of someone extremely powerful towards the mountain that loomed over them in the distance. Sasha immediately stood up, knowing that everyone at the mountain was in danger.

"We're leaving, sister." She said.

Not waiting for her companions to follow her, Sasha hurried back towards the mountain. Because they had been traveling for several days, it would take a very long time to get back, even if she devoted her strength to speed.

Mariel chose to leave her nephews behind and follow her sister, ordering the three siblings to visit each of the various major cities in the kingdom and check for life.

On their way to the mountain, Sasha tried to figure out whose power she was sensing, but could not because of the large distance between her and it. By the time she was within its range, it had disappeared.

Focusing all of their power into speed, it took them a full day to arrive, by which time they were exhausted. The surrounding area didn't seem to have been disturbed, although Mariel could see the her mountain was damaged.

When they went inside, their ears could pick up the sound of people breathing. They followed the sounds until they arrived in a bedroom. Inside, they found Aigle and Max in a heated discussion while Shion lay unconscious on a bed.

"What happened?" Sasha asked immediately without introducing herself.

"Brimir was here." Aigle said rather calmly

"Here?! Why?!" Mariel asked, alarmed.

"We...don't know." Max said. "But he made off with some of your books, Mariel."

"This is bad..." She said to herself.

"Is she okay?" Sasha said, looking at the sleeping girl in bed.

"Yes. She may have saved our lives." Max said.

"What do you mean?" Sasha said.

"She...has power." Aigle said. "I didn't intend to change her so much, but it saved our lives."

"You will have to explain more of what happened once she wakes up." Sasha said, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room.

"Should we call back those three?" Aigle asked, referring to Louise, Saito, and Alex.

"No. If nothing is wrong in the human world, they will come back on their own." Mariel said.

They would spend the next four hours in silence, waiting for Shion to wake up. After the fourth hour, they decided to leave her to sleep. Sasha, Mariel, and Aigle sat outside the mountain and started to talk about things from their pasts, particularly the war, while Max remained inside the mountain to figure out what Brimir could have stolen.

"Do you think we'll survive?" Sasha suddenly asked as she stared up at the sky.

"That's odd coming from you." Aigle said with shock.

"I thought you were fearless, little sis." Mariel said.

"I'm just good at hiding my fear." She replied. "Or maybe I stopped fearing it once I had nothing more to live for..."

"We survived the war." Aigle said.

"Thanks to you, yes." Sasha said. "If it weren't for your medical corps, there might have been none of us left."

"You both did your best and saved our races." Mariel replied. "Be proud."

"Come to think of it, Mariel, you never speak about what you did during the war." Aigle said.

Mariel was silent for a few moments, deciding whether or not she would finally talk about her actions.

"Seeing as we may all die quite soon, very well." She finally said. "On the day the humans began the war on the elves , I was supposed to visit Mother and Father in their village."

"I still don't know why Mother and Father chose to live in such a small village in the countryside." Sasha said, remembering the fairly large wooden cabin her parents lived in.

"I suppose they found it peaceful." Mariel reminisced. "Unfortunately, because it was so far on the outskirts of the Elves' country, it was one of the first villages to be attacked. When I arrived, the human soldiers had already ravaged the village. It was burning, the ground soaked in blood, corpses everywhere. Of course, I immediately ran to my family's home. When I arrived, my family..."

She stopped speaking for a moment, remembering the horrific sight that greeted her when she had arrived.

"Mother, Father, little brother...were all killed." She said, holding back tears. "Before I even had the chance to mourn, another group of human soldiers entered the town, so I had to leave."

Hearing about her family's demise brought tears to Sasha's eyes. She especially felt guilty because to her, their death was her fault since she helped Brimir.

"By the time I got to the nearest big city, the humans had already begun attacking it." Mariel continued. "They were driving back the Elves that were desperately trying to fight back, so I decided to intervene. Because of Brimir, I was strong enough to dispatch them quite easily, even though I didn't know much in the way of fighting. When the city's general saw me fight, he decided to enlist me in the army. I spent a lot of time fighting on the front lines, but my role eventually evolved into covert operations like killing enemies in their camps or planting traps."

"So that's why we never heard much about you." Aigle said.

"Yes. Most of my work was secret, so not many people knew." She replied.

As she finished her sentence, an ovular light appeared at the base of the mountain. Through it, Saito, Louise, and Alex walked into the woods. They immediately noticed the two elves and the fairy that sat on a ledge above them and walked to speak to them.

"I thought you'd be looking for Brimir or anyone who's involved with him?" Louise said.

"We left that task to my sons." Sasha said. "Brimir attacked this place again."

"What? But why?" Alex asked.

"He ran off with some of my books." Mariel replied. "Your father is trying to figure out what he took."

"Wait, where is Shion?!" Alex asked, feeling the worst.

"Don't worry. She is fine." Aigle said. "She very well may have saved our lives. All of our lives."

"I'm glad she's okay." He said, sitting down next to his mother.

"How about you three?" Mariel asked, brushing her son's hair. "How was the human world?"

"Everything is fine." Saito replied, sitting down with Louise.

"So was it just an empty threat?" Sasha asked, more to herself than to Saito.

"No, that doesn't sound right." He replied. "There's no way they would say something like that to distract us. If it was to separate us, they would have attacked while me, Alex, and Louise were away."

As they sat together and thought about what they should do next, Shion walked outside and was immediately surrounded by her friends, who were all concerned about her health.

"How do you feel?" Alex asked, holding her hands.

"I'm fine, Alex." She replied.

"You don't have to keep your eyes shut anymore." Aigle said.

She nodded and slowly opened her eyes, letting them get accustomed to the light. She could see perfectly out of both eyes, although the scar on her face and neck was still there.

"What happened in the human world?" She asked, rubbing her eyes since she just woke up.

"There was nothing wrong." Louise said. "On the surface, at least, everything seems fine. What happened here?"

"Brimir attacked us." She replied calmly.

"It's amazing that none of you got hurt." Alex said.

"He chose to leave for some reason." She replied, not bothering to be detailed.

As they made sure she was okay, Saito sat silently, pondering everything that had happened. He had developed an idea for what the winged person might have meant, but he kept trying to dismiss it.

Sasha noticed that he was seemingly lost in thought, so she decided to confront him about it.

"Something on your mind?" She asked quietly so that only he could hear it.

"You could say so." He replied. "I've been thinking about what that person said. About the human world."

"What about it?" She asked.

"Do you think he could have meant my world?" He asked.

She stared at him silently, thinking about his question.

"It is possible." She said.

"I want to go and check." He said, rising to his feet.

"If you insist on going, then I will come with you." She said. "I'm sure everyone else would like to come as well."

"But what about your sons?" Saito asked, remembering that they were still away.

"I have given them the order to return here in our absence." She replied. "If there is trouble here, they may call us back with the same stone I gave you when you were bedridden."

"Alright. If that's settled, we should leave as soon as possible." He replied.

Sasha agreed and went to inform everyone that they were going to Saito's world. As she had predicted, they all wanted to tag along, most likely from wanting to know what his world was like.

When everyone prepared their weapons, Louise opened a world door to the house Saito's family used to reside in. With a slight amount of hesitation, Saito stepped through it. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he was met with a rather grim sight.

The ground was flooded with water in which floated debris and, occasionally, bodies. The sky was gray with storm clouds through which lightning streaked across the sky. A few moments later, his friends walked through the portal one by one.

"Is this what your world is normally like?" Alex asked, hoping that Saito would say yes.

"No. Something happened..." He said, a little sick to his stomach by the smell of sewage in the water that reached his waist.

Wondering what happened, he walked into his family's house. He immediately went to his room, where his laptop was still intact. Turning it on, he searched for news about what was happening in Japan. On several sites, there were reports of catastrophic weather not only in Japan, but around the world.

Satellite images showed several hurricanes on the coasts of most of the continents. Reports of the tide rising and falling dramatically and unnaturally were abundant.

"We need to find out who's doing this." Saito said finally.

"I can feel some magic nearby. Perhaps we should go there." Sasha said.

"Alright." Saito replied. "Be careful.. Those weapons the Germanians used in the war are everywhere in this world."

"All of us are here. What's the worst that could happen?" Alex said in his usually childish demeanor.

"Yeah. You're right." Saito said, although in his gut, he had a horrible feeling that things would not be so simple.


	74. Chapter 74

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've written one of these. That's simply due to being a bit busy over the past few weeks, so bear with me for a while, 'kay?**

 **Kotano-chan**

 **Hello, Kotano-chan! Yeah, it's been a while since I heard from you. I was getting worried you dropped the story lol. As for how close we are to the end, this will be the final serious "arc" of the story. When I started writing it, I had initially planned on writing 100 chapters, and it seems like we'll get close to that mark. Maybe a little under or over, but pretty close. But don't worry! It will be replaced by a new story when that happens, so look forward to that. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 74**

Saito and his comrades walked through the flooded streets of Tokyo. They were heading for the faint magic that Mariel could sense. As they walked, Saito wondered what could have possibly happened. Why the whole world was in ruin. Why so many were dead.

They walked slowly for a few hours before they reached a decrepit building that seemed somehow familiar to Saito. It was small and didn't look like anyone inhabited it. They carefully walked inside, where they saw several ancient looking objects floating in the water.

"There is someone in here." Mariel said. "Saito, use your eyes."

He nodded and started to look around, his eyes glowing orange. Through a that was fairly well hidden, he could see someones magic in a large room. Following Saito, they entered the room, which was full of a variety of random objects.

Old chairs, pieces of armor, weapons, clothes. It looked like an abandoned antique store. As they walked further into the deceptively large room, Saito finally stopped walking.

"Who's there?" He said.

"Saito?" Someone said back to him.

They heard the sound of objects falling over and someone's footsteps. After a little while, the lights in the room turned on. A few seconds afterwards, an old woman came into view. Although she was obviously old, she seemed rather strong and agile for her age.

"Ms. Aiko?" Saito said when he saw her.

"It's been so long, my boy." She said, smiling at him.

"Sorry I haven't come to visit." He said, giving her a hug.

"I'm sure you can tell me all about your adventure in a bit." She said. "So which one is the lucky lady?"

"I am." Louise said, bowing her head. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"Saito was awfully eager to come back to you all that time ago." Aiko said, teasing him.

"Saito, little sister, we really must hurry and find out what is happening." Mariel said, not being able to understand Japanese.

"This one must be..." Aiko began, looking at Mariel. "Sasha?"

"You know who Sasha is?" Louise asked with surprise. "Just who are you?"

"Just an old hag." She replied. "Let's go somewhere a bit more dry. Then we can talk more."

They followed her to the top floor of the building, which was the same store Saito went to buy his sword. On the way, Louise cast a spell on her friends so that they could understand and speak Japanese. Aiko poured them all tea, and then sat down to start talking.

"So Saito, tell me what happened since you disappeared." She said. "You've clearly made some friends."

"Um...sure." He said. "But first, could you tell us what happened here?"

"I suspect because of your shenanigans, something happened." She said. "It started in north eastern Europe, then the whole world seemed to collapse."

"North east Europe?" Saito said. "That's where the storms started?"

"No." Aiko replied. "The sea levels abruptly started to decline. Then rumors began to spread. Some fishermen in the area started to report seeing...something under the water as it began to recede."

"Something?" Louise asked.

"Some kind of serpent." She said.

"A snake?" Alex asked.

"No. They said it was...massive." She replied. "After the reports, a cyclone seemed to immediately develop over the area. Soon after, everyone lost contact with the the places within the storm."

"Are there any pictures of what they saw?" Louise asked.

"No. But from what I've heard, they say there was a giant serpent under the water." She said.

"Do you think it could be Lífþrasir?" Louise asked.

"That would explain all the disasters." Saito said to himself. "But why destroy this world?"

"So tell me, Saito. Who are your friends? Of course, I recognize Sasha." Aiko said, although she was looking at Mariel.

"Actually, that's Mariel. Sasha's older sister. The white haired one is Sasha." Louise said.

"You're Sasha?" Aiko said, finally looking at the right person. "Your hair wasn't white when I saw you."

"I do not believe we have met." Sasha said in her quiet, stern voice.

"You were also a lot more jovial back then." Aiko said.

"When exactly is 'back then'?" Sasha asked.

"So long ago..." Aiko said. "Before the war. I was a little girl then. You and the King were passing through my village. You stayed in my father's home. You were both so polite."

"The King? You mean Brimir?" Louise asked.

"Yes." Aiko replied. "Things were so interesting back then. The land was so colorful. Winged people filled the skies..."

As she said this, she noticed the silver haired girl who she had not seen before. More specifically, she noticed the silver feathered wings that were attached to her back.

"I never thought I'd see another one of your kind." Aiko said, touching Shion's wings. "Four wings and...such lustrous silver feathers. How rare. Are you a noble?"

"Hardly." Shion said, becoming uncomfortable. "I am far from a noble."

Alex noticed that Shion's face seemed hostile when Aiko touched her. Of course, Shion was always reluctant to be in contact with other people, but she was rarely outright hostile. Even when she was, she never allowed it to show on her face.

"To have such luster in your feathers must mean you come from privileged blood." Aiko insisted.

"I don't know who my family is." Shion said. "My wings were severed when I was young, so I only found out about what I am recently."

"Fascinating." Aiko said. "And this boy with a prosthetic?"

"My name is Alexandre." Alex said. "I am Mariel's son."

"You survived?!" She replied with shock.

"You know about me?" Alex asked.

"Of course! Your mother and father were renowned for trying to help humans and elves." She said. "All the humans started hating Elves again when they heard you died. So you're **that** Mariel."

"Yes." Mariel said, although the subject bothered her.

Max and Aigle, who had managed to keep themselves unnoticed by simply saying nothing, were also becoming agitated by the conversation.

"If this world is still in turmoil, then Lífþrasir may still be here." Louise said, changing the subject. "We must go and find her."

"Europe is very far away from Japan." Saito said. "It will take us a long time to get there."

"If only Soren was here." Louise said.

"Those two are protecting the kids, so we're on our own." Saito said.

"And what will you do once you fix this world?" Aiko asked.

"I'll go back to Halkeginia." Saito said. "My family is there...permanently."

The thought of his dead family began to weigh heavily on his heart, making everyone in the room feel cold, empty, numb, and limp. The light in his eyes and tail began to grow faint, but Louise gave him a hug, snapping him out of it.

The feeling in the room was immediately alleviated as he returned to his normal self. He took a few deep breaths, then looked back at Aiko.

"Sorry." Saito said.

"For what?" She asked.

This struck Saito as odd. If the pressure he created when he was upset could be felt by someone of Sasha's stature, surely anyone else would feel it as well. Despite his curiosity, he chose to dismiss it.

"Nothing." Saito said. "We'll be going now."

"Allow me to supply you for your journey." Aiko said, wearing a smile. "It's the least I can do since you'll all be saving the world."

"Very well." Saito said.

Aiko led them into her warehouse. She packed a variety of materials for them, mostly warm clothes. She then cooked them dinner, claiming she didn't want them saving the world on an empty stomach.

Everyone sat down at her dinner table, prepared to eat. Shion was about to a spoonful of food in her mouth. However, for a split second, Saito noticed her hesitate and look down at the spoon. She then calmly began to eat.

Saito was not the only one who had noticed. Everyone was now wondering what prompted Shion's reaction. After a few minutes, she finished her food. She calmly stood up to put her dish into Aiko's sink.

As soon as she walked past Aiko, in a flash, one of her massive wings knocked her through a wall. Although they knew Shion felt something was wrong, they didn't expect such a violent reaction. Especially since none of them smelled any poison in the food.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"There is magic in the food." Shion said, waiting for the dust to clear. "Not enough to harm us."

"She's trying to kill us? But why?" Saito asked.

"She is not trying to kill us." She said. "She isn't even alive. She has been reanimated."

"How do you know?" Max asked.

"When we fought you, I noticed that you were very cold." She said. "Furthermore, you lacked a heartbeat. When this woman touched my wings, she did not seem alive."

As they spoke, some rubble began to stir where Aiko had been hit. Slowly, she walked out of the whole, covered in bruises and wearing a blank expression. She lifted her hands, seemingly doing nothing.

However, soon, swords, spears, and other weapons flew through the walls, threatening to kill the group. Before any of them could react, however, a pinkish-magenta colored barrier of what seemed like solid flames surrounded them.

All the weapons harmlessly bounced off of the barrier. Saito looked around them, searching for the source of the barrier. It was then that he noticed that Shion was completely calm, assuring him that she was the source of the power.

"What is this?" Alex asked.

She turned to look at him. When she did, he saw that her eyes had changed. Her iris had remained purple, but rather than having a normal pupil, it had attained an irregular shape, making it look like a four leafed clover that occupied most of her iris.

She stared at him for a few seconds, then turned back to their enemy. She allowed the barrier around them to disappear, letting them move outside, where they could fight more freely.

"She seems to be able to control metals." Mariel said.

"We're surrounded by metal in this world." Saito said.

"Then we need to kill her as quickly as possible." Louise said, pointing her finger at the old woman.

"I can kill her quickly, little sister." Sasha said, preparing to launch herself at their enemy.

"I'd rather not risk your life, big sister." Louise said. "Please allow me to kill her from range."

"Very well." Sasha said after a slight pause, easing her muscles.

A ball of light began to form at her finger. Everyone braced for her attack, covering their faces with their hands and, in Shion's case, wings. After a few seconds, Louise shot her attack at their adversary. However, rather than the large explosion they were expecting, a beam of light shot from her finger.

Aiko attempted to protect herself by creating a thick shield from nearby metals. As soon as Louise's attack touched Aiko's shield, sparks began to fly everywhere around them.

Knowing that no metal would be a match for her power, she made the beam more powerful. Almost instantly, the beam shot through the other side of the shield. After a few moments, the shield fell apart, revealing that Aiko had been pierced through the heart by Louise's attack.

"That was a little too easy." Alex said, expecting a more difficult fight. "I guess it was an old lady."

"She seemed quite clumsy." Sasha said. "Perhaps whoever was controlling her is far away."

"I wonder how long she was being controlled." Saito said. "I wonder if what she told us was even true."

"I believe we should go to this place called Europe." Mariel said,

"It could take us more than a month to get there." Saito replied.

"That is not too long." Shion said. "Let's go."

"Before that, Shion, what was that power?" Alex asked.

She sighed and turned around to face her friends. After a few seconds, her pupils deformed into the same clover leaf shape from earlier.

"It happened after my operation." She said. "I don't know what it is or if it's safe to use."

"I'll have you show me your powers later." Mariel said. "For now, we need to leave. How far away is our destination?"

"About eight and a half thousand kilometers." Saito replied.

"Such a long walk." Alex sighed.

"We'll have to stay away from the cities." Saito continued. "If people saw us, it could become problematic."

Everyone nodded, agreeing with his decision. They then began making their way through the flooded streets of Tokyo, prepared to cross an entire continent in order to find the cause of the world's turmoil. As they moved, Saito thought about Aiko, wondering how long she had been under control. However, he quickly pushed these thoughts out of his head, not wanting them to distract him during their long journey to Scandinavia.


	75. Chapter 75

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay on my writing. I've been dealing with some personal stuff and it has been eating away at my time quite a bit. Still, I managed to give you at least one chapter for October. Even if it isn't very good, I'm just glad I was able to get it out. Thanks for reading guys! See you next time!**

 **Chapter 75**

Battered, worn out, and tired, Saito and his group of friends traveled through the bitter, snow covered wilderness of what Saito deduced was Finland from the map he had stolen from a now abandoned town.

They had stuck to traveling through the wilderness to avoid being seen by anyone, knowing that it would cause panic. Despite the numbing cold, there was torrential rain, making progress even more difficult than it would have otherwise been. They decided to rest in a nearby cave, tired of the freezing cold rain.

"We've been traveling for weeks." Alex said. "Are we there yet."

"The rain has gotten substantially heavier." Saito said. "At the very least, we're very close to the epicenter."

"What do you think we'll find?" Aigle asked. "I don't sense anything."

"Best case scenario, either someone very weak or no one at all." Sasha said. "Worst case scenario…I don't know what to expect."

"Aiko, or whoever was controlling her, said fisherman in the area saw a giant serpent underwater." Saito said. "It could be Lífþrasir."

"Are you sure?" Louise asked. "Wouldn't we be able to sense such a powerful being?"

"Well...yes, but I've been thinking about what she said to me once." He said. "She said the people in the place she resides thought she wrapped around the world with her length. That something bad would happen when she woke up."

"What does that have to do with us?" Max said, forcing the water out of sticks he gathered to make firewood.

"The people around here had a belief like that over 1000 years ago." He said. "The world was supposed to be sent into turmoil. The ground would be overflown with water and one of their gods would fight this 'world serpent'. Seems familiar, doesn't it?"

"We cannot base our actions on a centuries old legend." Shion replied.

"I know. They're just stories." Saito replied.

They sat silently, staring into the fire that Max had lit and warming their bodies.

"How do you think things are going back home?" Louise asked.

"My sons have the means to call us back should there be an emergency." Sasha said.

"If there is an emergency, you can take us back quickly." Mariel replied. "You shouldn't worry. Everything will turn out fine."

"Everyone should get a little rest." Sasha said. "We'll continue moving in a few hours."

"I don't think we have the time." Max said. "I think we'd all rather get home as quickly as possible. Who knows what the enemy is up to."

"Don't be so hasty, Max." Sasha said. "You of all people should know what happens when you lack the energy to continue fighting."

Although this was a rather low blow, it allowed him to understand that she was probably right, so he didn't argue. Everyone huddled together for warmth, then one by one, fell asleep. Except for Max, who sat near the entrance of the cave listening to the rain.

After about an hour, Alex noticed that his father was wide awake, so he decided to talk to him. He sat down next to him without saying anything, waiting for him to speak.

"I disappear for a few hundred years, and the world becomes like this." Max finally said.

"All of this was out of your control." Alex replied.

"Perhaps..." Max said, quietly. "What became of my village?"

"I don't know." Alex replied. "When I became 14, I left it to make my own life."

"I see..." He said.

"What are you going to do once this is over?" Alex asked.

"I'm going to visit my village, whatever is left of it." He said. "Then I'm going to live with your mother. How about you?"

"I have a nation to look after." Alex replied. "And I think...I want to start a family."

"A family, huh? Just don't end up like me..." Max said, rather sadly.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Nothing." Max said, after a slight pause. "Let's get some rest."

They both soon fell asleep from listening to the heavy rain outside. Everyone slept for about three hours before being woken up by Sasha. They quickly prepared by eating food they had found earlier, then continued deeper into the storm.

They traveled for another twelve hours. The world around them became dark as what little sunlight that shone through the thick cloud cover disappeared over the horizon. There was no moon in the sky that night, so all of them had to rely on their other senses for navigation. After their twelve hour journey, Saito finally stopped them from going any further.

"What's wrong, Saito." Alex asked.

"We're close to the sea. I smell it." He said.

"There is a town nearby." Louise said, using her magic to see surrounding objects. "It's by the coast of some body of water. Maybe we should go there."

"Which way is it?" Max asked.

Louise pointed in a direction southwest of them. When Saito looked in that direction, he could see that the town was inhabited by several people.

"There's people there." Saito said. "If we go, we can't be seen."

With that settled, they entered the town, staying on rooftops to avoid being seen. The town was on the shore of what Saito thought was some sea in the area, since the water smelled salty. The town's population seemed fairly healthy. In fact, they went about their lives as if nothing abnormal had happened.

"Something isn't right." Alex said.

"Yeah. Everyone seems fine here." Saito replied.

"I'm human. Perhaps I should go and find something out?" Max said.

"That's a good idea." Louise said. "He is the only normal one out of all of us. I'll place a spell on you so that you understand them."

"Good luck." Shion said, using a pair of wings as an umbrella.

He nodded slightly, then quietly entered the town and started to look around. The people stared at him, as if they knew that he wasn't from the area. He walked into a store that was selling fish. Inside, the clerk was a young man. His wife was in the corner of the shop, caring for her fussing baby.

Both the man and his wife seemed extremely happy considering what had happened in the world around them. Their eyes were bright and full of life. Even their mannerisms were filled with excitement and joy.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" The man asked.

"Hello. I would like to purchase some food." Max said.

"Ah yes, of course." The man said. "Our fishermen have been quite lucky of late, so we have quite a large variety in stock. Please take your time and choose what you'd like."

"Thank you." Max said. "Things seem rather happy here considering the state of the world."

"It's just a little rain, after all." The man said. "You're not from around here. Where are you from?"

"Just a small village further south." Max said, not knowing the names of the countries in Saito's world.

He grabbed dozens of fish, then brought them to the man to sell. He was obviously surprised at how much Max was buying, but ignored it for the time being.

"All this for yourself?" He asked.

"No. My companions as well." Max replied.

"Ah. That would be...€404." He said, after a slight pause.

Not knowing how to pay, he handed the man 4 gold coins he had in his pocket. The man stared at the coins for a few seconds. After a while, he simply accepted them and bid Max farewell. Max was surprised that he didn't ask if the coins were fake, but left anyway. He regrouped with his friends, who sat under a tree nearby the town.

"Find out anything?" Saito asked.

"They either don't seem aware of what's happening, or they choose to ignore it." Max replied

"Did they suspect you?" Aigle asked.

"I don't think so." He replied.

Just as he finished his sentence, the rain stopped falling and the sky cleared above them. The world around them became eerily silent. In the skies, birds rapidly flew away, back towards the rain the surrounded the lake.

In the forest, many animals, herbivores and carnivores alike, ran in the same direction. For several moments, no one in their group felt anything out of the ordinary other than the deafening silence.

However, after a few minutes, the water in the lake began to shift. Several waves crashed against the shoreline before the tide began to recede.

"Something's happening…" Saito said.

"Should we leave?" Louise asked.

"No." Sasha said. "Whatever is happening is most likely in response to our presence. We must stay."

After waiting for what felt like hours, but was only a few seconds, Mariel blew them all with a gust of air, drying them off. They were all confused for a while, but then noticed that the water around them was moving unnaturally.

It quickly made its way back into the lake, where it began to accumulate into several tentacle-like arms made of water. Without giving them a chance to observe the water, the water immediately attacked them, sending a large amount of dust and mist into the air.

Saito and his friends had no choice but to dodge the tendrils in different directions, splitting them apart. After several seconds of evasion, they each attempted to sever the tendrils that attacked them, but they simply reformed themselves.

"How are we supposed to fight back?!" Alex exclaimed as he just barely dodged an attack.

"Perhaps we should vaporize the water?" Sasha asked calmly.

"But there will still be water in the air…" Saito said, trying to think of a way to fight back.

"The only way is to seal it!" Aigle said.

"We can't seal a lake…" Saito said to himself.

"Not the lake, whatever is controlling the water." Mariel said. "There's something under the lake. Something powerful."

"How do we get to it?" Shion said.

"We can't. We have to lure it to the surface." Mariel replied. "Retreat for now. Its abilities must have a range."

"But the rain around the world is caused by the same being. Does it not have infinite range?" Saito asked.

"Creating rain lacks precision and control." She replied. "To kill small, fast beings like us, it will need to be closer."

"What about the town?" Louise asked.

"I believe the town was a trap, or at the very least, a beacon to alert the creature under the water." Mariel said.

"So those people..." Saito began.

"They aren't real." Mariel replied.

"Now is not the time for empathy, Saito." Sasha said. "My sister's analysis is correct. Let's go."

With their course of action decided, they waited for an opening to retreat, then, as quickly as possible, moved further and further away from the sea. The water that relentlessly attacked them followed them closely.

However, just as Mariel had predicted, after retreating to a significant distance away from the sea, the water that followed them began to thin before eventually, it came to a stop. After a few seconds, it receded back towards the lake.

The group waited for a few minutes for any reaction, also taking the time to catch their breaths. As they waited, a mist began to pass over the land, blocking out the sun and making visibility extremely bad. For another several minutes, the land became eerily silent.

Suddenly, a sharp shard of ice shot down into the ground just next to Saito. As they raised their guard, several more shards of ice rained upon them from seemingly every direction. Because of the thick fog, they couldn't see where they were fired from.

"Louise! Get rid of this fog!" Alex yelled, trying to figure out which ways to dodge.

As she dodged left, right, up and down, Louise fired several balls of light around them. They soon exploded into large bright spheres, destroying the fog and much of the land around them.

When the bright light disappeared and their eyes adjusted, they saw the thing that was chasing them from the waters of the sea. The blue serpent which only Saito was familiar with surrounded them with her long body.

Her gigantic, triangular, snake like head looked down at them with piercing blue eyes. She had silently wrapped her body around them, using the fog she created as cover, preventing them from attempting to run away again.

"What is that thing..." Alex asked, falling to his knees. "We can't possibly win..."

"It's Lífþrasir..." Saito said, also losing the strength in his legs upon seeing the massive serpent. "She must be under Brimir's control..."

"How are we supposed to beat something like this..?" Shion said with tears beginning to form in her eyes from fear.

"Its scales are probably too strong for our physical attacks." Sasha said, keeping a level head.

"They are probably too strong for magic as well." Mariel said, also looking at the situation calmly. "Even if we could create attacks large enough to significantly damage it, its armor would most likely negate them. Which means our only option..."

"Is void magic." Sasha said, turning to look at Louise, who was in awe of the beast.

"Aigle, Max, Alex. Protect Louise while she charges an attack." Mariel said.

"What are you going to do?" Max asked.

"Shion, Saito, little sister, and myself will hold the beast back." She said. "Once it recognizes Louise as a void mage, it will no doubt focus on her. We have to stop it."

"I'll need a while to charge an attack strong enough to harm it." Louise said. "That could take a very long time."

"You don't need enough to kill it. Only to disable it for a while so that it can be sealed." Sasha said, stretching her limbs and back in preparation. "That means you need enough to deal a substantial blow to the head. Don't worry about the rest of the body."

"And how will you all get away when I fire?" Louise asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Saito said, smiling at her and trying his best to put her at ease.

After some hesitation, Louise finally agreed to the Elf sisters' plan. She closed her eyes and began to recite the spell for an explosion. While she charged her spell, Aigle used her magic to help her retain stamina as she gathered energy. Max constructed a barrier of wood and stone around the two so that they wouldn't be hurt.

Once he was done, he joined his son outside the small bunker he made for them, ready to defend it against any incoming attacks. Sasha, Mariel, Shion, and Saito looked up at the serpent's head, thinking of the best ways to attack it.

After a few seconds of thought, the four of them sprung into action, well aware that this may be the last fight they ever have.


	76. Chapter 76

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for the tardiness. My computer is broken so I've had to write on my tablet. Not a fun experience. Still, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 76:**

After only having fought for a few minutes, Saito and his present group of friends were already exhausted from having to fight the deadly monster that surrounded them. It was incredibly fast and precise with its attacks, making sure they had no openings to land any significant attacks.

All the while, it was also well aware of the danger that Louise posed to it. It constantly attempted to break through the defense that Alex and Max provided for her, tiring them out in the process. This fatigue was starting to cost them, as they were beginning to slow down and taking small wounds.

"How much longer?!" Saito asked, holding his arm where a shard of ice had pierced it.

"She's still getting ready." Max said as a scratch on his cheek sealed itself shut.

Inside the little fort that Maximilien had made for Louise, the pinkette's eyes were closed as she gathered magic. She was seemingly oblivious to what was happening around her, with the only thing on her mind being gathering magic.

The great serpent at this time, seemingly irritated by having to deal with so many small targets, prepared to launch a more devastating attack. So quick was the serpent in gathering power to attack that the group of mortals hardly had time to seek cover.

Within a few seconds, they were all blasted by an incredibly, and unnaturally, hot gust of water vapor. It burned their skin severely, even Saito's, whose skin was already very hot on its own. Inside the monstrous gale, sharp piece of ice flew through the air, piercing their burned skin with cold knives of water.

The wind seemed to have no end, forcing all of them to find some kind of cover. Alex hid behind a barrier that Max had made. Shion used her eyes to create a barrier around herself. Sasha, for the first time in years, used her magic to manipulate her surroundings, creating an earth wall to shield herself and Mariel. Saito simply hid behind a small boulder that was just large enough to shield him.

After about a minute, the deadly maelstrom finally subsided. All members of their group were horrendously wounded, although shielding themselves mitigated a lot of the damage they would have otherwise taken.

Many of their lungs were burned inside from inhaling the hot gasses from the attack. Their skin was vivid red where they were burned and covered with blisters. They were bleeding from where they were pierces by ice and other debris.

Slowly, they all got up, trying their best to ignore the pain they were in, but to no avail. Sasha and Mariel were the first to manage to stabilize themselves. Their breathing was heavy as they dealt with the pain they were in.

"I couldn't react fast enough..." Sasha said, straining to talk.

"Nor could I." Mariel said, looking at both her and her sister's sorry state. "We can't afford to take another attack like that."

"We cannot retreat at the moment." Sasha said. "But we are not suited to attack."

"The purpose of our attacks was simply to buy time, not cause damage." Shion said, slowly getting to her feet. "We must keep going."

"We're too unhealthy for that." Saito said. "I might be able to heal with some time, but the rest of you..."

"If I must die to protect Louise, then I will." Sasha said.

"If Louise launches an attack now, we'll be hit too." Alex said, helping Max stand up. "Father cannot keep protecting Louise and himself. He's running out of power."

Alex was correct. The shield that Maximilien had made for Louise was already battered by the sea serpent's constant onslaught. He was becoming incapable of keeping it strong.

As they discussed what they could do, the snake prepared to launch the same attack. This time, Shion protected them from the deadly winds. They lasted for twice as long as before and seemed much hotter and stronger.

When the attack ended, Shion fell to the ground, holding her head in agony. Using her strength so frequently and for such long durations put an immense amount of strain on her, giving her a skull splitting headache.

Worse still, she had been unable to protect Louise's location. The barrier that had surrounded her now crumbled, leaving her and Aigle exposed to any incoming attack.

They were all aware that the next attack would definitely be their last. However, rather than using the same attack that had so gravely wounded the group and incapacitated Shion, the serpent seemed dead set on killing the void mage.

Several dense, sharp spears of water materialized in the air. As soon as they formed, they sped towards Louise. With how injured they were, none of them could keep up with their speed.

In the blink of an eye, they shot down onto where Louise had been standing in a trance, with such force that they sent a great amount of dust and debris into the air, clouding everyone's vision.

Everyone's hearts sank upon seeing this. Not only because it would mean, for sure, that they would die, but because they had lost a very close friend. Sasha, Mariel, and Saito in particular were completely motionless, hoping their eyes were decieving them.

They ran as fast as they could, which given their injured bodies was not very fast, towards where they last saw her. When they arrived, they saw the outline of body laying face down on the ground, all but confirming their worst fears.

However, when they got closer, they saw that it was not Louise laying on the ground, bleeding from severe stab wounds. It was fairy, Aigle, who had pushed Louise away at the last moment, that lay motionless on the ground.

Her now cracked circular glasses still rested over her closed eyes. One of her iridescent insect-like wings had been severed and blood dripped from her mouth from internal wounds.

Everyone was silent as they stared at her. After reality had set in, Sasha, being the closest to the fairy, began to sob. Her sobbing got louder and louder as she held her deceased friend's body.

Everyone around her was silent as she had such a large outburst of emotion. Unfortunately for the mourning group, the giant serpent that surrounded them was not concerned with the fairy's death and prepared to attack them again.

Sasha, although aware that they were in danger, did not seem to care that another attack was about to be launched. She was too consumed by her grief to care.

However, as the serpent was about to fire its final blow, the dust in the air was drawn to a point a few meters away, a being sucked by a vortex.

The point happened to be the tip of Louise's finger, where a ball of light gathered. In an instant, and without saying anything, she shot the ball at the head of the beast. Max used what little magic he had to form a large stone dome that would protect everyone from the blast that was to come.

As soon as the light made contact with the beast's scales, it exploded into a massive bright sphere which soon enveloped the group. Outside, they could hear the sounds of destruction that Louise had caused.

Realizing that Max did not have the strength to keep the stone structure up, everyone who had some magic left helped him, keeping it up just long enough for the blast to calm sown, which it did about a minute later.

When the world around them became calm, they allowed the stone structure to collapse, letting them see the barren landscape caused by the blast.

The serpent that it had been directed against lay on the ground, unconscious. It's head and quite a large part of its body were injured and burned.

The once overcast sky started to clear in the distance, allowing rays of light to shine upon the land. Despite all of this, the mood among them was quite poor.

Using such a strong blast had made Louise unconscious, Shion could no longer move, Max was completely incapacitated, everyone else could barely walk, and worst of all, Aigle was dead. On top of these things came the dilemma of the giant serpent in front of them.

"None of us have the strength left to seal it." Alex said.

"And we're stranded here until Louise can wake up." Max said, very weakly.

"I'm too weak to heal anyone right now." Saito said.

"We must remain here then." Mariel said, sitting on the ground.

"But this thing will wake up again eventually." Alex replied.

"Yes...it will." Mariel said, rather sadly.

Understanding what his mother meant by that, Alex fell to his knees and said nothing. After a short time, he went to sit with Shion, who was leaning against a rock trying to rest her head.

"Our only hope is for Louise to wake up before then..." Saito said to himself.

Realizing that they could only stay put, they all sat silently on the ground. Sasha cradled Aigle's body constantly, silently shedding tears until her exhaustion made her fall asleep.

Max sat with Mariel, hugging her so that she felt a little safer. Saito sat next to his sleeping wife, hoping she would wake up in time.

However, after five hours of rest, with everyone but Saito asleep, the great serpent began to stir. Saito, who had forced himself to remain awake despite his fatigue, immediately thought of waking up his comrades, but decided that if this was the end, he would allow them to leave the world of the living in their sleep.

As the beast began to raise its head into the air, he too allowed himself to drift into sleep. The last thing he saw before the world around him went dark was the serpent opening its blue eyes.


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77:**

A short, beautiful, blonde woman with a dragonfly's wings walked through a dimly lot corridor holding a tray with soup and bread.

For several minutes, she continued to walk until she arrived at a door. After a minute of hesitation, she knocked on the door. She didn't get a response, so again she knocked, hoping for a response that never came.

After waiting for a few minutes, she took a deep breath and decided to do what no one had dared do since the war had ended.

Slowly and carefully, she turned the doorknob, then quietly pushed open the door into the dark room. She was slightly hesitant to walk inside, but cast her fear aside ans boldly walked through the doorway.

As soon as she was inside, something seemed to shut the door behind her. Her hair stood on the back of her neck, but still, she continued to walk forward until eventually, a feminine voice halted her.

"Get out." It said.

"You need to eat." The fairy said.

"Get out." The voice said again.

This time, she said nothing. She remained completely still in the dark room, adamant in her resolve to remain in the room and deliver the meal.

"I said get out!" The voice yelled.

When it yelled, a gust of wind rushed past the fairy's ears. Through the darkness of the room, a pair of fierce looking emerald green eyes looked back at her. Fear shot through the fairy's body, but she remained resolute.

However, after a few moments of staring, the once angry looking green eyes began to waver and their expression changed, turning into one of sadness and grief.

"Aigle, please..." They said in a very quiet voice.

"I am sorry, madame." Aigle said. "I cannot allow you to remain like this any longer."

She paused, waiting to see if she would get a reply, which she did not. She slowly walked closer until she was standing only a few feet away from the emerald eyed person in the dark.

"You haven't eaten in months, madame." She said, sitting down. "At least allow me to feed you."

She didn't receive a reply, so she dipped her spoon in the bowl of soup, then raised it towards the person's head. They seemed hesitant, but soon drank the soup.

They allowed themselves to be fed in silence, after which Aigle set aside the tray and and sat next to the person.

"Allow me to take you out of this room." Aigle said.

"No." They replied. "Leave me be."

Despite the reply she got, Aigle lifted them up, wrapping their arm around her shoulders, and began to walk towards the doorway.

"I said leave me be." They said.

"I cannot do that." Aigle said, opening the door. "You may be my superior officer, but you're also my friend...Sasha"

When Aigle opened the door, the light from the hallway illuminated Sasha's face. She was very skinny, her face stained with tears, and her clothes worn and tattered.

She weakly looked at the short fairy that struggled so hard to pull her through the hallway. After seeing her struggle for a few minutes, she finally began to support her own weight with her weak, anorexic legs.

Upon seeing her try to support herself, Aigle smiled as the two made their way down the hallway and towards the light of the outside world.

 **In The Present**

Sasha's eyes quickly opened after her dream had ended. She shot up from where she was laying and looked around. The world around her was pitch black.

Even her sensitive eyes couldn't see anything. She slowly stood up, and started to slowly walk around. It was then she noticed that the ground she was walking on was very soft and wet.

The air, too, was very warm and humid. She made very small footsteps as she walked around. Eventually, she tripped over something.

When she fell, she remained completely still, just in case any enemies may have heard her. After a few moments, she hears movement in the direction of the thing she tripped over.

"Ugh, where am I?" She heard in a voice she recognized as her sister's.

"Mariel?" She said.

"Sasha?" Mariel replied.

"Thank God you're alive!" Sasha said, hugging her sister once her ears had found her.

"I'm happy to see you too." Mariel said. "Where are we?"

"I don't know." Sasha said once she let go.

"Were you able to find anyone else?" Mariel asked.

"No. I only woke up a few minutes ago." She replied.

As she said this, they heard another voice calling through the darkness. Mariel tore off one of her sleeves and tied her arm to Sasha's, ensuring that they wouldn't lose each other. After a few moments, they heard the voice again.

"Is anyone there?!" It asked.

"Max?!" Mariel yelled.

"No, it's Alex! Over here!" He yelled. "I've got Saito with me!"

They looked around for the light from his tail, but weren't able to see anything. Although she felt quite weak, Mariel produced an orange flame in the palm of her hand, illuminating some of the world around them.

The ground they stood on was pink in color and had a rough, albeit moist surface. They followed the sound of Alex's voice until they reached a slope.

"I can see you guys!" He said. "I'm going to jump."

After a few moments they heard him land next to them. They could see Saito's tail in the dark, so they walked towards it until they could see Alex.

"Alex!" Mariel exclaimed, happy to see her son.

"Hi, mom." He said, giving her a hug.

"Saito has not woken yet." Sasha noticed.

"I've been walking around for an hour." Alex said. "I found him a few minutes ago."

"Your wounds..." Mariel asked. "I can't feel them."

"I have a few broken bones, but my skin is healed at least." He said. "You two seem alright too."

"How peculiar." Sasha said, realizing she was more or less healed.

Ar this time, they saw a magenta colored flame coming towards them. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a large, 7 armed, magenta, upper half of a skeleton moving towards them.

Inside, they could see Shion, Louise, and Max, seemingly uninjured. When she noticed it was them, the large skeleton disappeared and she ran towards them.

When she was in ranged, she jumped on Alex, pulling him into a tight hug. He was equally happy to see her and gratefully accepted her hug.

Max and Louise then arrived, having walked more slowly. Before anyone said anything Sasha noticed that Max was carrying something which she quickly recognized as Aigle's corpse.

He slowly laid it on the ground, after which everyone silently surrounded it. For several minutes, they stood in the dark with their eyes closed, praying for Aigle's safe passage into the afterlife.

Eventually, after wiping away her tears, Sasha took a deep breath and composed herself. After another minute, she finally decided to talk.

"Thank you, all." She said.

"She's in a better place..." Louise said, rubbing Sasha's shoulder.

"I know." Sasha replied giving Louise a hug.

"What is this place?" Shion finally asked. "And why did some of our wounds heal?"

"This...stuff we're stepping on." Max said. "It's alive."

"It doesn't appear to be harmful." Mariel said.

"If that's the case, let's remain here until Saito wakes up." Sasha said.

Everyone agreed to this, since they thought that moving anywhere wouldn't help them at the moment. It took more than two hours for Saito to wake up. When he did, he was in a daze.

"This is the afterlife?" He said to himself when he woke up.

Louise gave him a hug when she noticed he was awake. He hugged her back, although in the back of his mind, he wondered if and how she was alive.

"We are not dead, Saito." Sasha said.

"Then where-" He began.

His question was cut short. They all felt a substantial jolt, making them fall to the ground. Afterwards, everything around them became silent.

Soon after, however, they saw a crack of light form some distance away from them. Before they could even begin to discuss whether or not it was dangerous, a gust of air blew them towards it.

The feeling of falling through the air came over them until they landed on hard ground. Mariel rubbed her head in pain, then opened her eyes.

Towering above her, looking majestic under the single moon of Saito's world, was the great serpent Lífþrasir. Her eyes pierces Mariel's soul so that she found it hard to speak.

Everyone else by this time had realized that the serpent was now towering above them and had already drawn their weapons. However, at once, they all heard a beautifully soothing voice in their ears.

"You need not draw your weapons against me." The great serpent said.

"You're...in control?" Saito finally asked when his nerves had returned to him.

"I am." She said.

"What happened?" Saito asked, still not convinced they were safe.

"It appears that your master's attack was traumatic enough to sever my connection with my puppeteer." She said. "Thank you for that. I regret the damage I caused you and the life I've taken."

"Where are we, serpent?" Sasha asked.

"Ah, if it isn't the one who was once called Gandalfr." She said. "I transported you to the land on which you arrived in this world."

"Transported us?" Max said. "So you...ate us?"

"If you wish to phrase it that way, yes." She replied. "I suppose you kept your word about freeing me, Saito."

"These aren't exactly the circumstances I anticipated." He replied, finally putting his sword away. "Besides, you aren't free yet. Who knows what will happen once we leave."

"I was put under control because I was held back by my restraints." She said. "Now that they're gone, I cannot be toyed with."

"I see." He said, feeling relieved.

"Although I wish to be in the world that I belong in, it can wait until you defeat them." She replied.

"Them?" Louise asked.

"When I was under their control, I could see within their mind." She explained. "They are not even individuals. It is one mind in control of many."

"So you were able to see them all?" Sasha asked.

"Yes. I recognized them as well." She said. "Only few do you need worry about. The 12th crown prince of the Angels, Lucifer. The last Queen of the Fairies, Lune. And of course, the first and last King of the Humans, Brimir. All are controlled by a dead man in the capital of Germania."

Saito immediately remembered what he found in the locked rooms in Germania when she mentioned a dead man.

"What about your brothers?" Louise asked.

"Only Brimir has the strength to capture them." She said. "He is currently in battle with Gandalfr. One of my brothers rests on the highest peak of your world. Go there and you will find him. The other rests in a great desert land south of Halkeginia."

"I see. Thank you." Louise said.

"No, thank you for freeing me, little mage." She replied. "I will protect this world until I may go back home. Farewell."

With that, she disappeared. Her body seemed to turn into a liquid and merge with the sea. After a few minutes of silence, Louise opened a world door to her palace.

Everyone wearily stepped through it, feeling anxious of what was to come.


	78. Chapter 78: The Morning Star

**Author's Notes:**

 **It's good to hear from you again, Kotano-chan! Trust me, I know how easy it is to get bogged down with life stuff. Don't worry about it. You can leave a review whenever you have the time. I'm glad to know you're still enjoying the story, so thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 78: The Morning Star**

Saito sat alone in a bath tub in he and Louise's palace. It was the first time since he had come back from his trip to Japan with his wife that he had the chance to relax.

Although at the moment he was relaxed, he knew he would soon have to leave to warn the world's leaders about the threat to Halkeginia.

On top of that, he would have to attempt to release Lífþrasir's brothers. He knew that Gandalfr was already in combat with Brimir, or so he was told, so he was having a hard time resting.

Still, before all of that, something more important to the group had to happen. He got dressed in clean clothes and quickly made his way outside to the palace grounds.

Everyone else was already gathered there, surrounding a rectangular stone box. Inside was the the body of Aigle which Sasha had spent the past several hours dressing and cleaning since their arrival back in Halkeginia. Sasha has dressed her in a long white dress and braided her blonde hair. She then put her hands on one another and placed her circular glasses on her chest. She was laid in a soft white sand in her casket, making her look very peaceful.

Once he arrived, everyone surrounded the coffin in a neat circle. Sasha then used a small sharp knife to slit her hand, then let some of her blood drip onto the sand in the coffin. Everyone there repeated the process, as it was a tradition that Elves and the other races practiced for those who died in a heroic manner.

They all then lifted the coffin and walked towards a small marble "house" that Sasha had made to store the coffin. It was surrounded by a colorful garden filled with vibrant flowers and trees that bore healthy fruit. The open coffin was rested a marble pedestal. When it was secure, everyone exited the building.

Mariel then placed a spell on the area, ensuring that it would remain preserved. Once all of this was done, everyone remained outside silently for a short while before walking back to the palace.

Once inside, Sasha chose to sit alone, although Mariel and Max followed her to comfort her. They left Saito, Shion, Louise, and Alex alone to talk to each other.

"I'm sorry." Louise finally said.

"It's not your fault." Shion replied, although she was filled with grief. "She wanted to give her life to save not just yours, but everyone else's."

"Yeah, she wouldn't want you to feel guilty." Alex said, looking at the white prosthetic that the fairy had given him, also feeling immense sorrow.

"It wouldn't have happened if I were stronger." She said, still blaming herself.

"You're the strongest of us four." Saito said. "There was nothing more you could have done."

"What should we do now?" Shion asked.

"We have to go to Germania." Saito said. "Maybe if we can destroy what we saw there, this will end."

"We should leave as soon as possible." Alex said.

"Some of your bones are still broken." Louise said. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"I'm fine." Alex replied. "It's not like we'll be fighting."

"Sasha, Mother, and Father are all hurt from Ms. Aigle." Shion said. "Perhaps we should do this alone."

"We should tell them we're leaving at the very least." Saito said.

They all agreed and decided to leave that night. They spent the rest of their day doing their best to lift their spirits. They reminded themselves of when they first met and joked about each others personalities.

For a good amount of time until they'd have to leave, they managed to cheer themselves up for the most part, although in the back of their minds, they were worried about what they might.

When it was already rather far past midnight, after resetting some of Alex's bones, they walked to the balcony that the adults had gone to. Max sat on the guard rail of the balcony, letting the sea breeze blow through his hair. Sasha was fast asleep in her sister's arms.

She had clearly been sobbing, but at the moment at least, her dreams appeared to be nice ones. She was wearing a slight smile and her face lacked it's usual expression of depression or boredom. She looked happy.

"What's the matter?" Max asked quietly when he noticed the four, not wanting to wake Sasha.

"We're going to go to Germania." Louise whispered.

"Just you four? I refuse." Max said.

"Father, I can care for myself." Alex said. "Besides, we won't even be fighting."

"Yeah. And you three just lost a close friend." Saito said. "Sasha especially. She needs time to get herself together."

Max was about to argue, but Sasha began to stir from her sensitive ears picking up the noise being made. With everyone quiet for a few seconds, she became motionless again.

"If you are sure you'll be safe, you may go." Mariel whispered as she softly stroked her sister's cheek.

"But Mariel-" Max began.

"Maxi, they are right." She said. "Little sister is in no condition to be fighting. When she wakes up, she will need me. She needs time."

"I suppose I can't leave you alone." He conceded, rather unhappily, after a minute of internal debate.

"Thank you." Shion said.

Alex gave both of his parents hugs, enjoying the feeling of having both his mother and his father with him, then let go. Shion, too, gave them hugs since they were the closest thing to parents that she recognized.

When they all said their goodbyes, the four left the palace. They stopped by Aigle's grave, praying for her to watch over them. Louise, still feeling weak after her previous battle, took a few minutes to gather enough strength to open a world door.

When they stepped through it, they found themselves in dense woods, obscuring their view of the city. They quickly and silently made their way into the city, using the rooftops to go to the palace at the city's center.

When they arrived inside the palace, everything seemed rather quiet. Choosing to ignore this, they started making their way towards Albrecht's former office, where the door to the hidden rooms lay.

"Is it always this quiet?" Alex asked.

"No." Louise said. "We should have seen somebody by now."

"Maybe they're all asleep?" Saito guessed as they walked down the hidden staircase.

"Unlikely." Shion said. "There should ways be at least a few guards monitering this place."

"Saito, ths kids..." Louise began.

"Those two dragons remained here to protect them." He said after they reaches the bottom of the staircase. "Even if something happened, they wouldn't let harm come to them."

As they walked towards the door that contained the skeleton that Louise and Saito had seen before, Saito felt that something was strange.

When they got closer, the lighting coming from Saito's tail shone on the ominous sight in front of them. The door to the room had been opened somehow. More importantly, however, there was a large pool of blood on the floor.

And worse still, the dusty, splintered, wooden coffin inside lacked a skeleton. The sight sent chills down their backs, so they immediately ran upstairs to collect their thoughts.

As they caught their breath, they heard footsteps coming from the hallway outside. Alex poked his head out of the doorway to see who it was.

What he saw was several winged, decrepit, rotting, decomposed looking humanoid creatures. In front of them was an Angel who looked identical to the one who had attacked them before. He seemed to be in command of the rotting creatures.

They were carrying what looked liked a large glass tube with a body inside. The body seemed to lack skin and chunks of flesh. Its bones were even exposed in some places. The creatures walked onto a balcony and flew into the night sky and out of sight. Alex quietly stepped back into Albrecht's office, where his friends were waiting for his report.

"It's that winged guy again." He whispered.

"Is it worth fighting him?" Louise asked.

"We don't know how strong he is. It's too risky." Shion said. "Besides, we assured the others that we wouldn't be in any danger."

"But what about the kids and Augusta?" Louise said. "We don't know if they're okay."

"I agree with Louise." Saito said, although he was speaking more from being a worried father than from common sense.

"I know you two are worried, but we can't afford to fight now anyway." Shion said. "I am the only one that Lífþrasir managed to heal before returning us to Japan. Even if I wasn't, that man is capable of flight, which means we are simply not equipped to fight him."

"You are also capable of flight though." Louise said. "And you have your eyes."

"I am not used to either of those things yet." She replied. "Saito and Alex lack long range attacks that could assist me in a battle in the air. You are the only one capable of that, but you are not well enough to help after our last battle. None of you are."

"But-" Alex began before she cut him off.

"No buts." She said very sternly. "It's safe to assume that man is Lucifer, the prince that Lífþrasir warned us about. If he is, then a one on one fight is out of the question."

"I guess you're right..." Saito conceded. "We need to leave before we're found. Louise, make a world door for us."

"I need a second to rest." She said.

Saito saw that she was very pale and looked quite weak, most likely from the amount of energy she had used in their fight against the great serpent Lífþrasir only a few hours earlier.

"Damn it." Alex said to himself. "We can't stay in here though."

He poked his head out of the door again to check if the coast was clear. The winged man, Lucifer, was nowhere to be found, so Alex signaled for his friends to follow him.

They quietly snuck through the palace hallways, making their way towards the main entrance. When they got outside, they quickly jumped on rooftops to make their way out of the city and into the surrounding woods.

When they felt they were far enough away, they stopped to allow Louise to rest. She was not the only one who needed it, too. Both Alex and Saito still had internal wounds that needed to heal, so they were very relieved when they got the chance to relax.

As they were resting, Saito looked back at the sprawling city they had left. He wanted to make sure they weren't in danger, so he activated his eyes, allowing him to see the magic that dwelled within everyone.

"How do things look?" Alex asked as Shion gave him a massage.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary." Saito said.

However, that was exactly what worried him the most. Surely someone as strong as the winged man was would be blatantly visible to Saito. The magic a man such as him contains should stick out like a sore thumb among that of the weak people in the city.

Remembering that their potential opponent could fly, he looked directly above them. There in the sky, just as he had predicted, was the large orb of magic he had expected to see in the city.

Saito barely had time to get himself and his friends behind cover before a powerful gust of wind slammed against the ground, flattening the surrounding trees.

They were each knocked quite a distance away from each other, such was the force from the blast of wind thag came over them.

"We have to get out of here!" Saito exclaimed.

"Louise is not ready!" Shion replied.

"Damn it!" Saito said to himself as they looked up at their opponent.

For a few seconds there was silence, but then Lucifer seemed to make a long silver scythe appear from apparently nothing. However, he did not attack the group yet.

He lifted the scythe into the air, holding it directly above his head. He started to utter a few words, but he was too high in the sky for anyone to hear them.

After a few moments, as dawn began to break and an orange streak of sunlight was on the horizon, the blade on his scythe began to shine. Expecting an attack, Shion activated her eye, making the magenta colored skeletal avatar appear around her.

Just as it had manifested itself, the shining on the blade's scythe turned into a bright light that bathed the landscape. The light became more and more intense for several seconds before finally, it went away.

When it was gone, Shion made the avatar disappear. When she turned her head to address her friends, she saw that they were on the ground, blinded by the light.

Quickly realizing that she had no choice but to fight, the wings on Shion's back, which always seemed to magically shrink when not in use, spread themselves wide. Their metallic looking feathers twinkled as the light from the stars landed on them.

She took a deep breath and looked back to her opponent, who had, in the blink of an eye, had landed on the ground. With sword in hand, she slowly stepped towards her opponent, knowing that the lives of her friends and herself rested in her hands.


	79. Chapter 79: Dying Light

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hello everyone! Sorry for the late post. I've been ill lately, so its been getting in the way quite a bit. I hope you understand.**

 **@Kotano-Chan: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I think I warned everyone that things may be a little sadder going forward, so...yeah. The last 2 were a little depressing. Sorry xD**

 **@GB: Hi there! I'm happy to hear you like what you see in the story so far! If you're going to start from the beginning, just know that those were my first chapters of any fanfic I've ever written, so they're a bit dodgy. Still, thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter: Dying Light**

Shion stood alone against the one called Lucifer, her friend's already injured and now blinded.

As she slowly moved towards her opponent, several thoughts raced through her head as she tried to think of a way for her and her friends to come out of this alive.

"We have been warned about this opponent by the serpent Lifrasir." She thought calmly to herself. "Seeing as he blinded those three, he may have an ability which allows him to manipulate light."

As she thought, her opponent prepared himself for her attack, using one pair of wings to defend his body.

"Although I can say with near certainty that his powers involve the manipulation of light, I will not know to what extent until I engage him in combat." She continued. "This opponent is also capable of flight and is most likely at home fighting in the skies. I am at a disadvantage in the sky since I am not yet used to flight. On top of this, the powers of my eyes seem to be relegated to ground use only. I must keep him grounded, therefore my attacks should be focused not on his vital organs, but on his wings."

With her strategy more or less finalized given her available information, she pulled her sword out of it's scabbard then, as quickly as she could, rushed at her opponent, using her large wings to propel her forward.

He swung his scythe immediately to block her sword, but she used the agility her wings granted her to maneuver to his side and try to slice of one of his wings.

He managed to dodge in time, but had the first wing on the left side of his back slightly wounded. When he created enough distance between them, he went back to his defensive position.

Rather confused by this, Shion chose to try the same tactic. However, this time, her opponent blocked her blade.

She then retreated to a safe distance and began to observe him. He didn't move from where he stood, choosing to constantly defend himself.

"Of course the same thing wouldn't work twice." Shion thought to herself. "But what is he doing? Why isn't he attacking? Is he waiting for something?"

As these thoughts crossed her mind, the sun peeked over the morning horizon. As soon as the rays of sunshine landed on her opponent, he stood up from his defensive position.

He spread his six wings, as if stretching them after taking a nap. For a few moments, he remained motionless, basking in the light of the sun.

The whole thing made Shion feel very nervous and uncomfortable. Her mind raced with ideas for how she could win the fight quickly.

However, before all of that, she remembered that her friends were still nearby, incapacitated.

"Saito," She said with a calmness that didn't fit the situation. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah!" He replied, leaning against a rock.

"Find Alex and Louise and get them as far away from here as your body will allow." She said.

"What about you?!" He asked.

"Just do it." She said. "The only senses you have to rely on are your sense of smell, hearing, and touch. Since this will be a battle in the air, you cannot help me with those senses. Even if you had your sight, I am the only one capable of efficiently fighting this person. Do as I say."

He wanted to argue, but he knew that she was right. He lacked the long range attacks necessary to help even if he didn't lose his eye sight.

Using his powerful sense of smell, he quickly found Alex and Louise, then ran away from the battlefield, although he didn't know exactly where he was going.

When they were far enough away, Shion returned her attention to the man who seemed to be basking his feathers in the sunlight.

Because he seemed wide open and she preferred to strike unexpectedly, she turned on her eyes, allowing her to manifest the giant magenta colored skeletal avatar that surrounded her

"As far as he knows, this power is mostly defensive in nature." She thought to herself.

As she thought this, two tridents made of the same fire like substance as the avatar manifested themselves in two of the avatar's seven hands.

"That means he should have no reason to expect an attack. Especially not from this range." She thought to herself. "This is approximately 20 meters. I can hit him accurately from this distance easily."

When she had this strategy figured out in her head, she launched her attack. Faster than the blink of an eye, she threw the two tridents at him with pinpoint accuracy and immense speed.

The impact sent dust into the air, obscuring Shion's view. After a few moments, the dust finally settled.

Much to her surprise, she saw that both of the tridents had impaled her opponent's body.

She didn't move towards him at all. She knew that something was wrong. There was no possible way that some Lifrasir had bothered warning her and her friends about could be defeated so easily.

After observing him for a few seconds, she slowly moved closer to him. She deactivated her eyes to save energy, making the large avatar disappear. However, when she was within less than 5 meters of him, she felt an unnatural shift in the wind.

Just in time, she managed to dodge an attack that seemingly came from nowhere. Lucifer's scythe just barely grazed the tips of her feathers.

She jumped to a safe distance away to rethink her strategy.

"I'm sure I hit him." She thought to herself. "I certainly didn't see him move. So how did he get behind me? Teleportation?"

She was in a slight panic, but took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She decided that her next attacks had to be as clean as possible and throw no dust into the air so that she could see what he was doing.

To do that, she decided to attack her without using her eyes. She rushed at him at swung her sword.

This time, he blocked it with his scythe. The impact of the two metal blades caused a shockwave to form.

Shion then pulled back, only to continue her assault. Sparks flew every time their blades crossed.

After a few minutes of this, when Shion rushed forward to attack again, she was suddenly kicked away from an odd angle.

The kick cracked some of her ribs, but she was otherwise okay. When she looked back, she was surprised to see that instead of the one opponent she was fighting, there seemed to be a clone of him as well.

"What the hell?" She said to herself. "Another one? Where was he though? A clone?"

When she stood up, she winced slightly, feeling the pain from her ribs being cracked.

"I can't fight two people at once " She thought to herself. "It is unlikely they'll let me escape. I either have to kill them quickly or figure out as much about them as I can. Perhaps if I can get information about them to the others, they'll be able to win after my defeat."

Just as she thought this, she saw him in her peripheral vision only a few feet away and about to attack her.

In response, she flew into the sky. While she was in mid air, however, she saw that the other Lucifer was already there.

Because she wasn't used to flight, she manifested a giant ribcage around herself just before his scythe could hit her.

She was knocked at high speed into the ground. Because the ribcage she created around herself protected her, she was unharmed.

She immediately got up, expecting the first Lucifer that attacked her on the ground to attack her once more.

However, that attack never came. Instead, she hears the Lucifer in the sky fly down at her. He brought his scythe down on her, but she blocked it with her sword, having turned off her eyes again.

As she clashed, her mind raced with possibilities of what his ability was. Eventually, she managed to put some distance between her and them.

"How did he get near me so quietly?" She thought to herself. "And why didn't he attack me once I was back on the ground? That was the perfect opportunity to strike."

Her mind raced with dozens of theories and solutions. After about a minute, she seemed to have an idea.

"Could it be..?" She thought. "Testing that hypothesis could prove fatal, but if I'm right, it'll make things more straightforward."

She picked up a very long sharp branch of a tree that had been destroyed. She then stuck her sword in the ground and sounds around quickly, causing dust to be thrown into the air.

She was now surrounded by dust. She could only see a few feet in front of herself, but could see up into the sky directly above her.

After about a minute, he suddenly appeaared through the dust in front of her.

He brought his scythe down on her head. However, she did not attempt to block it.

She gripped the branch she had grabbed earlier and threw it as hard as she could above her.

Above her, another Lucifer was stabbed by the branch she threw at him through his stomach and two of his wings.

At the same time, the scythe of the Lucifer on the ground passed through Shion harmlessly.

The Lucifer on the ground disappeared into nothingness while the one in the sky fell to the ground.

He was by no means dead, but it seemed he would no longer be able to fly. His abdomen had suffered a rather gruesome wound as well, so Shion's fight would be easier.

Shion smiled as she thought about his powers, feeling proud that she had figured some of them out.

"So there really was only one Lucifer." She thought to herself as she began to manifest her avatar again. This time, it started to become covered with what looked like muscle."He uses light to trick my vision. But light has no substance. No weight. That's why I never heard him or felt the air change when his clones got closer to me."

"But to create clones of light, he also has to see them. If a clone appeared while I was in that dust, it means the only place he could be was above me." She said.

As he attempted to pull the branch out of his body, she threw two more tridents at him.

This time, she could clearly see him dodge them. As soon as he managed to dodge them, he pulled the branch out of his body.

He started bleeding excessively from his abdominal wound, but still got to his feet.

At this point the sun was high in the sky. He looked up at it for a few seconds, then raised his scythe into the air.

Shion was on her guard, so she kept her eyes activated. For a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen.

Suddenly, however, the scythe seemed to start absorbing the light around them.

"Is he going to try and blind me?" Shion thought to herself. "My power will stop that from happening."

Only a few seconds later, rather than the blinding light she expected to see, a beam shot out of his scythe's blade and struck her avatar.

It was extremely fast and powerful. It began to burn a hole through her giant golem, making her eyes feel quite a bit of pain.

Soon, she deactivated her eyes and tried to dodge the beam. Unfortunately, it still struck one of her wings. Strangely, when the light hit her wings, it seemed to disperse for a few moments before finally burning her.

She tried to take some time to make herself ignore the pain, but she had to keep moving because Lucifer kept attacking her with his light.

Eventually, she hid behind a boulder. She knew that his light couldn't melt through it very quickly. And since he couldn't fly, she didn't have to worry about sneak attacks from above.

She took this time to look at her damaged wing. It was badly burned, but she was surprised the beam of light didn't just burn a hole through it instantly.

"That attack. It's too fast to dodge." She thought to herself.

As she thought, she could hear him beginning to melt through the rock she was hiding behind. He seemed intent on keeping his distance.

As she tried to think of a way out, she noticed some light flickering oddly on the ground in front of her.

At first, she thought it was an enemy attack, but soon realized it was just sunlight reflecting off of her metallic feathers and onto the ground.

She didn't think much of it and scolded herself for being distracted. She quickly looked over the rock star her opponent.

He was gathering a large amount of energy into his scythe, seemingly for a much stronger attack. Still, for the time being, she wasn't being attacked, which gave her a chance to strategize.

It was at this point that she looked back at the spot where her wing got hit by his attack. She noticed that a few spots on the ground looked like they had been hit as well. They were turned to glass from the intense heat.

"I'm sure he never hit the ground. I never did either." She thought.

As she thought, she again noticed how the sun's rays reflected onto the ground from her feathers.

After staring at the light for a few seconds, she finally realized what had happened. Why her wing was burned through and was only burned on the surface.

"So my feathers reflected some of the light towards the ground." She thought. "How fortunate. Still, this doesn't help me. My feathers aren't mirrors, so they can't reflect the light directly back in the direction it came from."

She started to move the feathers on her wings until they formed as flat of a surface as she was capable of making.

"My only option is to rush towards him while deflecting his attacks." She thought. "This means my wings will surely take damage, but if I get close to him, I believe I can defeat him considering her injuries."

Just as she made her mind up, his massive attack blew the rock apart. The ensuing explosion singed some of her skin, but she was still able to move. Knowing she had no other options, she ran straight towards him.

She would have to run a distance of 50 meters to get close enough to attack him with her sword.

As she ran, Lucifer shot several beams of light at her. They were extremely fast, so she had to focus hard on when and where to move and place her wings.

As she had predicted, although her wings were capable of deflecting a significant amount of the light, every attack still burned the surface of her wings.

It was excruciatingly painful, but she did her best to ignore it. By the time she was 10 meters away, the majority of the feathers on her wings were burnt off, so she had to be even more precise with her placement and angling than before.

Just when she was about to run out of feathers to use, she got within range to attack him.

She brought her sword down to strike his head. He tried to block it with the handle of his scythe, but the sharpness of Shion's blade cut through it.

Because of the scythe's deflection, Shion's sword cut deep into his shoulder and chest rather than his head.

Before he fell to the ground, however, he gripped the blade of his scythe and jammed it through Shion's abdomen.

She coughed up a lot of blood, but remained standing. Before he could attack again, she stabbed him directly through his heart, the pulled out her sword.

He started to cough blood for several seconds before finally, he became silent and motionless.

To make sure that his revival was impossible, she decapitated him and destroyed his head with a large stone.

With victory in her hands, Shion fell onto her knee, with the blade she was stabbed with still in her abdomen.

Slowly, she got up and began to walk in the direction she saw Saito run with her friends.

However, she could not make it very far. After only 100 yards, she collapsed, covered with blood and injuries and with her friends far away, unaware that she had attained victory.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Just thought I'd put this out there. For those of you who don't know, Shion's powers (eyes) are taken from the Susanoo in the series _Naruto: Shippuden._ My reason for including it is simple. I love the power and chose to use it. Anyway, that should help all of you visualize that better. See you next time! (I hope) :)**


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter 80**

Saito's eyes slowly regained their vision, though they were still blurry. He looked around his environment, trying to figure out where exactly he was.

"Saito?" Alex said as his vision came back to him. "Where did you take us?"

"I don't know where we are." Saito said. "I didn't run too fast, so we can't be far."

"We have to go back!" Alex said, worrying about his wife.

"Alex is right." Louise said.

Saito thought for a moment. Shion had clearly told them that they would be of no use in that fight, but the risk of her dying was also extremely high.

"Alright, let's go." He said. "If he's still there, we grab Shion and retreat. Understood?"

Louise and Alex nodded, so they started to make their way back. Because Louise was weak, they couldn't utilize her 'radar' to find the battlefield.

It therefore took them longer than it otherwise would have to reach it. When they arrived, they saw all of the flattened trees from Lucifer's initial attack.

Alex paid no attention to the scenery. He immediately began searching for Shion. His vision was still blurry, so he couldn't see very well.

They searched by hand for about an hour before Louise finally found something.

"Saito, Alex, look." She said, standing over something.

When they arrived, they saw the body of Lucifer laying on the ground, decapitated.

"This must mean Shion won, right?" Alex asked, hopefully.

"I guess." Saito said, disgusted by the corpse. "But where is she?"

"Maybe she went to look for us?" Louise said.

"She would have found us by now." Saito said.

"You don't think something happened to her do you?" Louise asked with worry in her face.

"Keep looking." Saito said, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

They continued searching for another 45 minutes. As he was digging through debris, Alex caught the glint of something silver on the ground in the corner of his eye.

When he went over to look at what it was, he was able to see that it was a person. Even though his vision was blurry, he knew it was Shion.

He immediately ran to her, then knelt down. He was horrified to see her wounds.

Her wings were all severed burned, her skin was burned and cut in some places, and of course, she had a long blade stuck in her abdomen.

Her eyes were closed and she was unresponsive, so he immediately began to fear the worst.

"Saito! Louise!" He yelled to get their attention.

Both of them knew immediately that he had found her. They ran to where he was, where they saw the silver haired girl laying on her back, covered in wounds.

Although she was shocked by what she saw, Louise immediately placed her fingers on Shion's neck.

After waiting for a few seconds, a look of relief came onto her face.

"She's alive." She said, looking at Alex. "Her pulse is very weak though. We need to get her to a doctor as quickly as possible."

Alex sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness." He said. "Do you think my mother will be able to heal her?"

"With the medical tools we have in the palace, she may be able to." Saito said. "Louise, do you have enough strength to open a world door?"

"Barely." She replied. "Alex, make sure the blade stays in the wound. It's stopping the bleeding a little."

Alex nodded and held onto the blade, making sure it didn't move while Louise created the world door.

 **In Saito and Louise's Palace**

Sasha's eyes slowly opened after resting for several hours in her sister's arms. She sat up and looked around her. Max was sitting on a chair, letting the wind from the balcony blow his long hair. Her sister was right next to her, waiting for Sasha to say something.

"Good morning." She said, drowsily.

"The sun hasn't risen yet." Mariel replied. "How do you feel."

"I suppose I'm okay." She replied, rubbing her eyes.

"You seemed happy in your sleep." Mariel said, wiping a tear stain from her sister's cheek. "What were you dreaming about?"

Sasha seemed to stiffen up when Mariel asked her that. She took a few moments to think before she answered.

"I was dreaming about...the old days." She said.

"And what exactly was happening?" Max asked, his interest now piqued.

"My time with...him." She replied, rather quietly.

"Him?" Mariel asked.

"Brimir..." Sasha said after a long pause.

"Ah." Max said, slightly uncomfortable. "I won't delve any further."

"I will." Mariel said. "What was happening in the dream?"

"I don't have to tell you." Sasha replied, defensively.

"You're right. You don't." Mariel said, softly touching Sasha's cheek. "I know you're all grown up. It's just hard for me to let you go. I'm still your older sister. I care about you, but I know it bothers you."

"It...doesn't bother me." Sasha replied, touched by her sister's words. "I really appreciate you, it's just hard for me to...you know."

"It's okay." Mariel replied. "Just know that I always mean the best."

"I know you do." Sasha replied, holding her sister's hand. "I'll...tell you about what I dreamt. In all honesty, it felt more like a vivid memory than a dream. It was when we first met."

 **5,998 Years Ago**

Sasha walked through the middle of the dark woods of what would be modern day Gallia wearing a heavy fur coat and boots.

Night had fallen and the ground was covered in thick snow. As she kept walking, she came across a small town.

As she walked through it, she entered a tavern where she could eat and spend the night.

She sat at a table and waited to be served. After a while, one of the bartenders came and gave her a mug of ale.

"Hello, miss." He said in a deep, gruff, and yet polite voice. "How can we help you tonight?"

"Umm, hello." She said in a sweet, nervous voice. "I'm looking for a place to stay for the night. I ran out of money about a month ago, so I can't pay you with that. But I could work for you for the duration of my stay."

"I see." He replied. "Yeah, that'll work. What's a fine young elf like yourself doing wandering around one though? It's dangerous out there."

"I wanted to see the world with my own eyes like my sister did." She replied, taking a gulp of her drink afterwards.

"Still, to come alone?" He said. "You really should have a travelling companion."

"If my sister could do it, then so could I." She replied. "Besides, what's the worst that can happen? The Cataclysms have been really docile lately. There haven't been any attacks or anything."

"The Cataclysms are the least of our worries." He replied, sitting down. "Humans are at war constantly. It's gotten really bad lately with those barbarians in the north East and Albions in the north. There's a bunch of warring factions around here too."

"I did see a few burning villages on my way here." She replied. "I heard humans we're at war, but it doesn't seem so bad."

"It's only a matter of time before the war reaches these parts." He said. "What's your name, little lady?"

"Sasha." She replied. "What's yours?"

"Matthew." He replied. "Let me get you a plate of food."

He walked away behind the counter and started to prepare her a plate of dinner. As she waited patiently, she suddenly heard a strange sound.

It sounded like a distant whistling getting closer and closer. Before she could even wonder what it was, Matthew knocked her to the ground and shielded her.

It was then that the whole room seemed to explode. Sasha could feel the heat in the room rapidly increase from the attack.

Debris was thrown all around the room. Eventually a brick hit her right on her head, knocking her out.

When she woke up, she was still in the same place. Matthew still lay on top of her, but was motionless.

She rolled him off of herself and looked around. She was still in a daze, so she didn't quite take in what was happening.

"Hey, Matthew. What happened?" She asked, nudging him.

However she didn't get a response. When she observed him more closely, she saw that a wooden beam had impaled his chest. He was clearly dead.

She scurried away from the dead body, starting to panic. She had never seen a dead body before, especially one covered in wounds, so she was very shocked.

Before she was even given the chance to come to her senses, a group of nearby soldiers spotted her.

They immediately rushed to her and roughly grabbed her and began dragging her somewhere.

They knew she was an elf, so they were especially careful in not letting her go. They dragged her into their nearby camp, where she saw hundreds of other women and children in hand cuffs, presumably from the same village.

Sasha was taken to a separate tent and shackled to a wooden post. She looked around with panicked eyes. She was hyperventilating and looked scared.

After about an hour, two soldiers wearing metal armor and helmets walked into the room.

One of them seemed rather shocked to see her. He was silent for a few moments, then turned to his companion.

"Go get me a plate of food and a jug of water." He said.

"Huh? You just want me out of the way so you can have your way with her." The other one replied. "If that's what you're up to, no deal."

"I'm not so vile that I'd do such a thing." The first one said. "Just do what I asked."

"Jeez. The first elf girl we ever find and you act like a saint." The second one replied as he walked off. "You're no fun, Brimir."

When the other soldier left, Brimir turned his attention to Sasha. She was even more terrified after hearing their conversation.

Seeing that she was very scared, Brimir chose to stay away. After a few minutes, his companion came back with food and water.

"It's my turn next." He said after handing Brimir the two items.

"Get out of here." Brimir said calmly.

His companion walked away and shut the tent be hind him. When it was closed, Brimir started to take off his armor, making Sasha even more frightened.

She desperately tried to free her hands, but she lacked the strength her older sister had, so she couldn't.

When Brimir was now wearing just his shirt and pants, he took off his helmet, letting his blonde hair sparkle in the candle light.

He then picked up the plate of food and mug of water and walked closer to her. When he was only a few feet in front of her, he sat down.

He picked up a piece of meat from the plate and lifted towards her mouth. However, rather than eating the meat, she bit his hand as hard as she could, making him pull his hand back.

"Listen, I'm not going to harm you." He said.

"Why should I trust you?" She said, looking quite angry.

"If I wanted to hurt you right now, I would have done it." He said. "You need to eat. I'm just trying to help you."

"If you really want to help me, let me go." She said.

He thought for a moment, then made up his mind. He pulled out his knife and cut the rope that tied her to the wooden post, much to her surprise.

He then sat down again, wearing a friendly smile.

"Even if I free you now, you can't actually run away." He said. "Anyway, your food is getting cold."

She was very suspicious, but couldn't deny the hunger she felt in her stomach, so she sat down and begun to eat.

"Who are you?" She asked with her mouth full.

"My name is Brimir." He said. "I'm just a soldier for another town."

"Then why are you helping me?" She asked, still not trusting him. "There are dozens of human women you can help out there instead."

"Well...I guess you interest me." He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Interest you?" She said.

"Nevermind that." He said. "Listen, when you're done, I'll have to tie you up again."

"I refuse." She said quickly.

"Listen, you can't escape right now. There's too many soldiers around." He said. "Don't worry. As long as I'm around, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Trust me."

He gave her a very reassuring smile. She didn't know why, but it made her want to believe him in that moment. Perhaps it was her naivety, but she nodded.

When she finished eating, she allowed him to tie her back to the post, although he did it more comfortably for her. He also made the knot loose just in case he couldn't be there.

When he was done, he put his armor back on, then left the tent. Outside, there was a line of men waiting for their turn. Such savagery disgusted him.

"You will do nothing to her." He said. "She is mine to look after and mine alone."

"Hey, no fair!" One of the soldiers said.

"I'm going to submit a request to the commander to have control over her." Brimir said. "If it is approved, you may not touch her."

With that, he walked away to the commander's tent. Inside, the commander, a bulky, tall, gruff looking man with a thick brown beard and curly brown hair, was busy having his dinner.

Brimir saluted before beginning to talk to him.

"Commander Samson, I come with a request." He said.

"Ah! Brimir! Anything for you, lad!" He replied in a deep booming voice.

"A black haired elf girl was brought to the camp in the last raid of that town." He said. "I request that she become my possession and becomes subjects to our laws regarding ownership of an item."

"You realize that the law states that anyone who tampers with some else's possessions may be killed by the owner?" The commander said.

"I am well aware." Brimir replied.

"And you are aware that as such a beautiful elf, many men will want to "tamper" with her? Perhaps even your friends?" The commander said.

"Yes. They will be subject to the laws of possession." He replied.

"Very well. You may brand her as you wish." The commander replied.

"Thank you. Enjoy your meal, sir." Brimir said.

He walked back to the tent she was kept in. However, he was worried when he heard laughing coming from inside.

When he opened the tent, he saw several men surrounding her. They had already torn some of her clothes off and some were even masturbating around her.

As soon as he saw them, Brimir pulled his dagger out. He quickly stabbed each of then in the neck. He was unnaturally fast, much too fast to see. In only a few seconds, all of them were on the ground, killed.

Brimir then looked at Sasha, who looked quite traumatized. He cut her hands free and hugged her.

"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He said.

He kissed her forehead and escorted her to his own tent. Despite barely knowing him, she suddenly felt safe in his arms.

 **Present Day**

"So that's how you two met..." Mariel said.

"Why would that memory make you happy?" Max asked.

"It seems that a part of me, maybe even all of me, still loves him." Sasha said with a hint of guilt. "I can't help but wish he was still with me."

"Even after what he did?" Max asked.

Sasha didn't say anything. She just nodded.

"Maybe after losing Aigle, I realized that so many of the people I held dearest are gone." She said. "Even him. When I lost him, it felt like I lost a part of myself as well."

"I understand." Mariel said, much to Sasha's surprise. "When I lost Maxi and Alexandre, I felt like I lost part of my soul as well. They mean so much to me."

Max felt rather guilty hearing about how hurt Mariel was by his death and loss if her son, but was also touched by it at the same time.

"If you love him, will you be able to fight him?" He asked.

"I killed him once before." She said. "I don't know if I can bring myself to do it again."

"If that's the case. We will do it for you." Mariel said.

At this moment, a world door suddenly opened on the balcony. Louise was the first one to step through it.

She was feeling very weak though, so she fell onto her knees immediately.

Before anyone could ask her a question, Alex and Saito also stumbled through the portal carrying Shion.

She was in a horrible state, but she was still alive. Mariel rushed to her and looked at her wounds.

"What happened?!" She asked, alarmed.

"We encountered Lucifer." Alex said, holding back many emotions. "Can you help her?"

Mariel laid Shion on the ground and then put her hands over her body. Magic from Mariel's hands soon enveloped Shion's body.

"Alex, pull the blade out as quickly as possible." She said.

He nodded, then, on Mariel's mark, pulled it out. Blood immediately began to pour from the wound, but Mariel's magic soon closed the wound and stopped the bleeding.

After a few minutes, Mariel finished healing her. Shion's wings lacked feathers, but they were no longer burned. Her skin was also healed for the most part.

"She isn't fully healed. Saito, when you're rested, heal her entirely." She said.

Saito nodded and sat on the ground. He was happy that, at the very least, they had one less strong enemy to deal with.

"What exactly happened?" Max asked.

"Lucifer blinded us, so Shion was the only one capable of fighting." Louise said. "She told us to run away and when we came back, he was dead and she was injured."

"Why didn't you take her to the Germanian Empress?" Sasha asked.

"That's the other thing." Saito said, looking quite angry. "Augusta, her children, Soren, Tempus...our own kids. They've disappeared."

"What?!" Mariel exclaimed. "Your kids...the gods...if the enemy has them..."

"I think I saw the guy who's in control." Alex said. "I saw a guy in a glass capsule. His body looked like it was rotting."

"It had to be him." Saito said. "The tomb that had the skeleton before had been opened by someone who could use magic like mine. And that skeleton...it was gone."

"We have to end this quickly." Sasha said.

"You will do no fighting for a while." Mariel said.

"I am physically capable of-" Sasha began.

"But you are not mentally or emotionally capable." Mariel interrupted. "For now, no fighting."

"She's right." Max said.

Sasha was not in the emotional or mental state to argue, so she remained silent.

"Maxi, we will have to meet with Sasha's kids soon." Mariel said. "We'll need their power."

"I'll go myself, Mariel." He replied. "You're the only one who is ready to fight here. You can defend everyone."

"Very well." She said. "Please be careful."

He smiled at her and gave her a kiss. He also made sure to give Alex a hug, then walked off the balcony, out of the palace, and made his way towards Gallia.

Alex remained sitting next to Shion, holding her hand and waiting for her to wake up.

Saito and Louise held each other, both of them extremely worried about the well being of their kids.

Mariel held Sasha, stroking her white hair. Still exhausted, Sasha quickly fell asleep in her sister's arms.

Given Aigle's death, the loss of the gods, the Empress and her family, the loss of Riza and Gabriel, and Shion's injuries, the atmosphere between them was one of sadness and sorrow.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! This chapter was longer than I thought it was going to be. Sorry about that. I hope you still enjoyed it. See you next time!**


	81. Chapter 81

**Chapter 81**

Saito fell asleep soon after coming back from Germania. He had felt exhausted over the past few days and never had the chance to regain any energy.

His sleep was, for the most part, quite peaceful. However, mid way through his pleasant dreams, he saw something strange.

He saw the great beast Gandalfr laying on the ground, quite injured, but otherwise okay.

When the beast looked his way, he suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. He wasn't sure why he would dream about, but he decided to deal with the matter at a later time.

More importantly at the moment, he felt like his energy had returned to him. He had slept into the next day, so he quickly got dressed and went to Shion's room to finish healing her.

When he reached her door, he knocked and waited for a response. After a few seconds, he heard a weak "come in".

He slowly opened the door. Inside, he saw Shion sitting up in bed, with her wings tucked behind her back. Next to her bed, an unconscious Alex held her hand as he slept .

"You shouldn't be sitting up." Saito said.

"I'm fine." She replied.

"So stubborn. Well, if you insist, the I guess it's fine. I can heal you now." He said. "It might hurt a little."

"I can handle pain." She said in her normal, cold personality.

He walked next to her and put his hand on her stomach. He then closed his eyes. For a few seconds, nothing happened.

After a while, however, Shion began to feel as if fire was pouring into her body. It was very painful, but she didn't make a sound to make sure Alex stayed asleep.

The wounds that remained on the surface of her body seemed to begin glowing, then healed. Her wings started to glow as well as the scarred skin was healed.

After several minutes, Saito finally finished. Shion took several deep breaths as she got over the pain she had felt.

When she was calm, she noticed that she didn't feel any pain anywhere. Her wings, while they still lacked feathers for flying, had down feathers instead.

"Thank you, Saito." She said.

"No problem." He replied.

"Don't you feel exhausted after that?" She asked.

She made a very good point. The last time he had to heal anyone, he needed weeks of rest before he could do it again.

"I don't feel tired at all." He said to himself, realizing how strange that was. "Could it have something to do with..?"

He remembered the person he met after his family had died. He wondered if perhaps having all of his magic available was somehow responsible, but wasn't sure.

"Something to do with what?" Shion asked seriously, raising her voice slightly.

"After I found out about my family...I met someone." He said quietly.

"In your head?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"They were very vague." He replied. "He referred to himself as a human who was in a situation like mine."

"What did he want?" She asked.

"He unlocked the rest of my power, but said he'd borrow it as well." Saito replied, remembering his conversation. "He also said he gave me some gift."

"Gift? Do you know what it is?" She asked, not liking such vague language.

He thought about what it could possibly be. He tried to think of anything beneficial that had happened to him since then.

"Not at all." He said.

"Did anything strange happen to you since then?" She asked.

"Well, I occasionally have these really bad headaches." He said. "When I open my eyes...I see other things. Places I don't recognize. It's like I'm looking through someone else's eyes."

"What did you see?" She asked.

Before he could respond, Alex suddenly woke up. His long hair was matted on the side of his head he slept on.

It took him a while to realize that there were other people in the room. When he realized, Shion was awake, he became wide awake and immediately started checking if she was okay.

"I'm fine, Alex." She said.

"Are you sure?" He asked, patting the soft fur like feathers on her wings.

"Absolutely." She replied. "Mother and Saito healed me, so I'm all better."

"What a relief." Alex sighed. "Thanks Saito."

"Again, you don't have to thank me." Saito replied. "I'm happy to help."

"So what were you two talking about?" Alex asked.

"Nothing useful." Saito said as he walked out of the room. "I'm going to go look for Louise."

Alex knew immediately that Saito was lying. He could tell from the look Shion's face. Besides that, she tended to not speak about things that were unimportant. Especially during such a serious time.

When Saito was gone, he turned to Shion. She already knew what he was going to ask.

"Saito told me a few interesting things." She said in her low voice. "He spoke with...an entity. He was rather vague, but we need to be careful."

"Is it important enough to report to my Mother or Sasha?" He asked.

"It very well may be." She replied as she spread her massive wings behind her back to stretch them. "Everyone has lost someone, but Saito has just felt the pain of losing his kids. Now isn't the time to confront him."

"He doesn't seem as affected by it compared to when he found about his Japanese family..." Alex said, remembering the feeling that radiated from Saito on that day.

He remembered being afraid of something for the first time when he saw Saito's reaction to his family's death.

"Both he and Louise probably recognize that showing excessive depression won't help us right now." She replied. "I can't imagine what they're going through."

A silence fell on the room as they thought about the grief their friends had to be feeling.

"How do you feel?" Alex asked her, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm not in pain." She said as she moved all of her joints. "Just a little stiff."

"I'm really proud of you." He said as he stroked her soft feathers. "You're really strong."

"That man was stronger than me." She replied, rather embarrassed.

"Well, you're alive and he's not, so I beg to differ." He replied, kissing her cheek. "How did you beat him?"

"His powers all involved light." She replied, letting her wings shrink behind her. "At first, he tried to use illusions to confuse me, but light has no weight, so I figured out how to expose the real him. He then used light to create a beam like a magnifying glass. I used my feathers to reflect the light until I was close enough to dispatch him."

"That must have hurt." He replied, feeling quite sorry for her.

"It did, but I had to do it, so it was worth it." She replied.

"You really are a genius." He said, giving her a hug. "But I'm never letting you fight alone again."

"That's impractical, Alex." She replied, although she enjoyed the hug.

"Then I'll be impractical." He said.

He gave her a long kiss, which she gladly accepted. Although she wasn't going to admit, she was terrified of the thought of dying during her fight, so she enjoyed every second of being with him.

Meanwhile, Saito walked through the palace looking for Louise. Eventually, he turned on his eyes to look more easily.

He soon found her sitting on the palace roof, starting up at the sky. He slowly walked behind her, then stood next to her without saying anything.

"Are they safe?" She suddenly said.

"I hope so..." Saito replied. "Those two dragons wouldn't let anything happen to them."

"But Soren and Tempus are gone too." She said. "What if they couldn't protect them?"

"I trust them." Saito replied as he looked across the landscape. "Don't worry."

"They're my children. How can I not be worried?" She said.

"They'll be fine. Trust me." He said.

"How can you be taking this so well?!" She exclaimed, looking up at him.

But when she saw him, she took back her words. She could see easily that he was very agitated.

His fists were clenched, he was gritting his teeth, his tail wagged from side to side in an irritated manner, and she could feel the heat coming off of him.

Realizing how hard he was taking it, she slowly held his hand. It seemed to calm him down a little.

She had him sit with her and leaned her head on his shoulder as they both stared at the garden of their palace.

"Of course I'm worried about them, Louise." He said. "I'm really broken inside. You're the only one I have left. But I can't let my grief show right now. We have to fight. Looking sad isn't going to help us."

"I'm sorry." She said, feeling bad for shouting at him.

"It's okay." He replied. "You're their mother, so I can't imagine how hard this is for you."

They sat in silence for about an hour, thinking about what they should do to find their kids.

They were interrupted when Alex climbed onto the roof.

"Guys, Wales and Henrietta are downstairs." He said. "They say we leaders need to talk. It's important."

"What now?" Saito sighed.

He picked up Louise in his arms and jumped off the roof. He then set her down and they walked back into the house.

Inside, they saw Henrietta and Wales sitting, rather uncomfortably, with Sasha, Alex, and Mariel.

"Hello you two." Henrietta said. "How are you?"

"Could be better." Saito replied as he sat down. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

"Before that, I'd rather everyone is here." Wales said. "Where is Shion?"

"She was recently badly injured in...an accident." Alex said. "Saito just finished healing her, so she's still a little shaky."

As if on cue, Shion then walked down the stairs rather slowly. As she sat down, Wales and Henrietta caught a glimpse of the four wings tucked behind her back.

They at first thought that they were seeing things, but then saw the feathered appendages twitch slightly as Alex rubbed them.

"Hello." Shion said quietly.

"H-Hello." Wales said. "How long have you had...nevermind."

"What did you want to talk to us about?" Louise asked.

Henrietta could see that Louise lacked the glow and vibrance she usually had. She seemed downcast, even if her face wore a smile.

"We want to talk about this enemy you've been fighting." Wales said.

"What do you mean?" Saito asked.

"We are well aware that you're fighting someone." Wales said. "Ever since the last time we saw you, I've been wondering who could have been strong enough to hurt you."

"Yes. If there someone strong enough to defeat all of you at the same time, we would like to who exactly it is and what we're up against." Henrietta said. "Especially if this elf is, as she introduced herself as, the very first Gandalfr."

"We were skeptical of our suspicions, but then a few days ago, we got a few reports." Wales said. "Firstly, some of your friends from the Academy said you passed through looking quite distressed. Secondly, we suddenly lost contact with Empress Augusta. Lastly, we received a report from a farmer who said he witnessed a battle between two angels."

He looked at Shion as he said this, observing the four silver feathered wings behind her back.

"One who controls light and another who creates a dark, evil looking...being." He said. "My point here is that if Augusta somehow disappeared, we could be next. And more importantly, we think you have answers."

Everyone was silent for a few moments, but Sasha finally decided to answer the two leaders.

"You are correct." She said. "We have fought...many enemies recently. Would you like me to describe them?"

"Yes, please, ma'am." Henrietta said.

"You may call me Sasha, little girl." She said. "The first enemy we fought, the one who injured us when you saw us, was the void mage Brimir."

Henrietta and Wales' mouths dropped from shock. They didn't know what to say, so Sasha continued.

"We have yet to defeat him." She said. "The next enemy we fought was my sister's husband, Maximilien de la Foret."

"I know that name." Wales said. "I saw it once or twice in history books."

"He was a human who tried to bring humans and elves closer together around 400 years ago." Sasha said. "We managed to bring him out of his...trance. He is an ally now."

"How are Brimir and Maximilien even alive?" Wales asked.

"I'll get to that." Sasha said. "It's an enemy even more ancient than myself. After our battle with Maximilien, we went to Saito's world. It was in a disastrous state."

"Humans are at war in your world, Saito?" Henrietta asked.

"No. The Cataclysm Lífþrasir was sealed under a sea in my world." He said. "She was put under our enemy's control and devastated my world. I believe they were after our weapons. We had to fight Lifrasir. We won...at the cost of the life of one of our friends."

"When we came back here, Saito, Louise, Alex, and myself went to Germania to examine an ancient tomb underneath Vindobona." Shion said quietly, quickly shifting the subject away from Aigle's death. "It was there that we encountered the one called Lucifer. I was forced to fight him alone, which is probably what that farmer saw."

"Lucifer? I've never heard of anyone with that name." Henrietta said.

"He is an ancient prince of my race. A race humanity nearly made extinct." Shion said. "More importantly at the moment, he was revived by a man called Eztli."

"Eztli? Who is that? A King in Halkeginia?" Wales asked.

"He was an ancient king from a land that lies across a great ocean to the West." Mariel said. "He harnessed the power of the gods Soren and Tempus to rule the land in a vile way. The gods created the Cataclysms Gandalfr, Lífþrasir, Mjoðvitnir, and Vindalfir to destroy him and that land. But he somehow survived."

"As far as we know, he resides in Germania right now." Saito said. "It seems like he's repairing his body, from what we saw."

"Soren and Tempus? The myths?" Henrietta asked.

"Not myths. Remember our dragon? That was Soren apparently." Louise said. "The problem right now is that they've disappeared. The people in Germania could be in danger, but there's nothing we can do. We have to wait for the enemy to show themselves."

At this moment, Saito's ears picked up the sound of a horse and carriage coming towards the palace.

He looked out of a window and saw a white carriage quickly making its way towards the front door.

When it stopped, Osmond, Colbert, and Kirche quickly ran to the front door. Saito opened it, but didn't even have the chance to say hello before Osmond started talking.

"I apologize for bothering you, but we have some troubling news." He said. "Our soldiers who occupied Germania after the war...some of them returned to Tristain. They said that there has been...a massacre in Germania."

"What?! What happened?!" Saito asked.

"They said the day was going normally, but...creatures seemed to appear from nowhere." Kirche said. "They said some of them looked human, others looked like elves and other races they've never seen. They shared in common one thing. They all looked like they were rotting. Like they were dead."

"That's the same thing that woman said." Sasha thought to herself, remembering what she was told when she went back to her kingdom after Brimir's attack.

"That's not all." Colbert said. "They're making their way across the Germanian borders. We've already deployed our militaries to counter them, but a few of them are exceptionally powerful. One in particular is...monstrous."

As soon as he said this, Saito fell to the ground. His head felt a sharp pain. Just like the last time this happened, when he opened his eyes, he saw through eyes that were not his own.

He saw an army in front of him, but they were all killed by a several beams of light coming from "his" hand.

They were all then picked up by flying creatures, deceased Anioły, and carried away.

His headache then went away and his normal vision returned to him. He was sweating and hyperventilating, but soon returned to normal.

"What did you see, Saito?" Shion asked.

"See?" Sasha asked.

"Yes. Ever since his family died, this has been happening to him." She said. "When it does, he sees through another's eyes."

"And you didn't tell us, Saito?" Sasha sighed. "It doesn't matter now. What did you see?"

"I saw someone fighting an army." He said. "It was one sided. He killed them all with some kind of white light, then those dead Anioły carried them away."

"Were you able to tell where it was happening?" Mariel asked.

"Not really." He replied.

"We need to go and fight." Sasha said.

"You're still unstable from what happened to Aigle." Mariel said.

"The pain from her loss gives me the strength to fight." She replied. "I'm going to fight. I have to fight. Going to the battlefield may be the only chance we have to put down some of the strongest enemies we have."

Mariel was silent for a few moments, but finally conceded.

"Very well. But if I see that you're off, I'll stop you from fighting." She said.

"Very well, elder sister." Sasha said. "Does everyone have the energy to fight?"

"I think we're all ready." Saito said. "Wales, Henrietta, Kirche, Colbert, Osmond. You guys stay here."

"We can fight too, you know." Kirche said.

"The enemies we're facing aren't human. They're out of your league." Shion said. "You're weak compared to them."

"Harsh, as always." Alex sighed as he put on his boots. "Will you be able to fight, Shion?"

"By the time we arrive to the battle, my body will be back to normal." She replied, also putting her gear. "I won't be able to fly with these feathers, but the surface area of my wings should still allow me to maneuver in mid air."

She stretched her wings behind her, allowing Wales, Henrietta, Colbert, Osmond, and Kirche to say how massive they really were.

Kirche looked scared, Wales and Henrietta just looked shocked, while Colbert and Osmond looked like they wanted to study them.

They then shrunk back behind her back as she got ready to leave.

Saito pulled Derf from his scabbard. He had been silent for a very long time, so Saito wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Derf, we're going to fight again." Saito said.

"Is that so?" He replied, sounding sleepy. "Against who."

"We don't know yet." Saito replied. "It could be anyone."

"Well, wake me up when we get there." The sword replied. "If you're going to die for a fourth time, I wanna see it."

"Great sense of humor, as ways." Saito said as he walked out of the door with his friends.

Louise bid farewell to Henrietta, then quickly caught up with Saito. She looked at his face to see how he was feeling.

He seemed to be in a better mood after Derf's joke. However, what Derf said stayed in his head, even if it was just a joke.

He had an awful feeling about the upcoming battle. Like Derf's joke wasn't really a joke, but an ominous prophecy.


	82. Chapter 82

**Chapter 82**

"The Germanian border is close." Saito said.

He and his friends had been walking, or rather, running through the forests of Halkeginia for a few hours.

They had agreed to rest before crossing the border into potentially dangerous territory.

They stopped in some woods close to the border to take a short break, wondering what was in store for them.

"I wonder how my father is doing." Alex said as he sat against a tree.

"He'll be fine." Shion said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You're awfully confident, aren't you?" He said.

"I know he's strong because he has a strong son." She said, kissing his cheek. "Don't worry. He'll be okay."

"You always know how to make me feel better." He said, hugging her.

Meanwhile, Saito and Louise sat in the high branches of a nearby tree.

"They're adorable." Louise said as she listened to Alex and Shion's conversation.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, Louise." Saito said as he looked at the setting sun.

"Fine fine." She replied.

They were silent for a few seconds, thinking about what could happen.

"You know...we'll probably have to fight Brimir." Louise suddenly said.

"I know." Saito replied.

"Do you think we can win?" She asked.

"I do." Saito replied.

"So you have a plan?" She asked.

"Not really." He said. "I've just been thinking about something Derf told me."

"And what would that be?" She asked.

"Well, he said you have more raw power than Sasha." He said. "That means that you're probably the only one capable of killing Brimir."

"Firing an explosion at him won't work." She said. "It only worked against Lifrasir because she's very big and you guys were distracting her. Even then, it didn't even kill her."

"You only charged that explosion for a short time." He replied. "You should start gathering magic now. You can do it while we're on the move, right?"

"Yeah, but even if I gather enough, I would never be able to hit him." She said in protest.

"Let the rest of us figure that out." Saito said.

She was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Alright." She said.

Again, there was a few minutes of silence, during which Saito remembered the dream he had before he woke up that morning.

"Hey, Louise..." He said.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I don't think the enemy managed to capture Gandalfr." He said.

"What?! How do you know?" She asked.

"I had a dream today." He said. "I saw Gandalfr laying down alone. He looked hurt, but was otherwise okay. When he looked at me, I woke up."

"Do you think it could have just been a dream?" She asked.

"Maybe. But my dreams tend to mean something." He said. "Either way, I still can't talk to him."

"Hopefully your dream turns out to be accurate." She replied. "I'd hate to have another fight like the one against Lifrasir."

"Yeah." Saito said.

He then lifted her up and jumped down to the ground. After setting her down, he went to speak to Sasha and Mariel.

"Should we leave soon?" He asked.

"Yeah, we don't have time to waste." Sasha said, getting to her feet.

"We're pretty close to the border, so we have to be more careful from now on." Mariel said. "Everyone be as silent as possible when we're on the move.

Just before they were about to leave, Saito's head began to hurt again. Again, he saw through eyes that weren't his.

He saw a similar sight to the one he had seen before. He was watching a human army fighting desperately to survive, but then his headache stopped and his vision returned to normal.

"That's been happening more frequently since we left home." Louise said. "Are you okay."

"I'm fine." Saito said, rather stubbornly.

"What did you see?" She asked.

"The same thing." He said, holding his head. "I was watching a fight between an army of soldiers and an army of...the dead."

"Why is it happening so often now?" She said, helping him stand.

"I don't know." He said. "I have a feeling we'll find out soon though."

They then followed everyone else, crossing the Germanian border in a matter of minutes.

As they swiftly moved through the forests and occasional open fields, Saito's sensitive nose picked up a familiar smell, making him stop.

"What's wrong, Saito?" Sasha asked when she noticed him stop.

"I smell...blood." He said, sniffing the air.

He followed his nose to find the source of the smell. After only a few minutes, he found the source of the smell.

A large field in the middle of the forest was stained red with blood.

"An army must have had a fight here." Saito said. "Looks like they lost."

"Can you track which way they were taken?" Louise asked.

"If there's blood here, then there's probably a trail of blood around here too." He said. "But I don't think we should try to follow them."

"Why not?" Alex asked. "It might lead us to the guy who's in control."

"That's exactly why we shouldn't follow them. Saito's right." Shion said. "We must first get rid of any significant support he might have. Those being Brimir and Lune."

"But how are we supposed to find them?" Alex asked.

"When they use their magic, well feel their presence. Finding Brimir will be easier, though." Saito said. "When a void mage uses a significant amount of power, it has a distinct feeling compared to normal magic. Knowing Brimir's strength, it won't be long until one of us feels his power."

"Let's keep moving, then." Mariel said. "The further along the country's border we go, the more likely we are to find a battle."

Everyone nodded and they moved along the border at a swift pace. As Mariel predicted, it wasn't long before they heard the sound of fighting fairly close by.

As they approached the fighting, Saito's head began to hurt again, causing him to slow down.

It was much worse than the rest had been since he left his country. It was comparable to the one he got when he found his family was killed.

However, this time, he saw nothing. His vision remained the same and soon, the headache went away.

"Stop here." Sasha said to the group.

From where they were hidden in the woods, they could clearly see a Tristainian army fighting several undead soldiers.

"We should help." Mariel said.

"We are not to intervene with the humans directly." Sasha replied. "We're only after the leaders of the enemy group.

"Such rules no longer apply." Mariel replied. "This enemy threatens the entire world. Besides, once we enter the battle, I have no doubt that at least one of our enemies may appear."

After a moment of consideration, Sasha nodded and pulled her axe from where it was fastened on her back.

They all quickly arrived on the battlefield, each taking out dozens of enemies.

The human soldiers that were fighting were confused by what was happening as enemy soldiers were cut down, broken, or outright vaporized by an explosion.

When the dust off their initial attack cleared, the soldiers were able to see the ones who saved them standing on the front line, surrounded by enemy bodies.

They recognized Louise, Saito, Alex, and Shion, but were of course wondering who the other two were.

As they waited for the next wave of enemies, which they could see coming over the horizon, the army began to cheer for them.

The six heroes looked back at the army, feeling better about saving them, then turned back to the task at hand.

The enemy army was moving quickly towards them.

"You don't have any issues with killing anymore do you, Saito?" Alex asked, gripping his dagger tightly.

"You can't kill what's already dead." He replied.

As he said this, he got another even more painful headache. It lasted for several seconds.

Unlike his last headache, he saw something this time. He seemed to be in the sky, looking at a battle happening below him.

By the time his vision returned to normal, the enemy army was already upon them, giving him only a few seconds to defend himself.

He was only fighting for about a minute before he had another painful headache, causing him to fall onto his knees.

His excruciating migraine ended just as one of the enemy soldiers cut him across his shoulder.

It was a deep cut, but he was still capable of fighting. Louise noticed that he had been hurt, so quickly made her way to him.

"What happened?" She asked as she destroyed several enemies at once with her explosion spells.

"I just...lost focus." He replied, covering his wound with his hand.

"I know you're lying." She said. "What's wrong? These enemies shouldn't be hard for you to defeat."

As she said this, his head began to hurt again. He saw the same image as before, like he was floating in the sky.

But he saw something else as well. It was hand belonging to whoever's eyes he was seeing through. It was pointing at the battle below him. Soon a ball of light formed in front of it.

His vision then returned to him and his headache went away. Almost immediately, he grabbed Louise and shielded her.

He wasn't thinking about what he did. He didn't even know why he did it, but his body seemed to follow its instincts without consulting his brain.

This turned out to be very fortunate. Not even a second later, the world around them turned a bright white.

Their ears were overwhelmed by the deafening boom of an explosion. Debris was blown in every direction from the blast.

Because they weren't expecting the blast, they received burns as well as other wounds from debris in the air.

After what felt like several minutes, but was only a few seconds, the chaos ended.

When Saito felt that it was safe, he stood up from where he had been shielding his wife.

His long hair was slightly singed at its tips and his shirt had been burned off, exposing his skin to the elements. He was therefore quite injured, but still mobile.

Louise was completely uninjured. It seemed that the only harm done to her was the complete shock to her senses.

Their friends received more injuries from the explosion, mostly burns and cuts from debris, but were fairly healthy.

"What was that?" Alex said, getting up from where the explosion had thrown him. "Did Louise cast an explosion?"

"No, she didn't." Shion said, observing Louise's state of shock.

Shion was pretty much unscathed, having protected herself from the majority of the damage with her eyes.

At this time, Mariel and Sasha ran to the two since they were closer than Louise and Saito were.

"Did Louise cast an explosion?" Mariel asked as her wounds healed themselves.

"Shion doesn't think so." Alex said.

He stretched his back and dusted himself off. He didn't seem to be too bothered by the situation, being quite childish as always.

He then turned to Sasha. She was looking up at the sky, not paying attention to their attention.

"Auntie Sasha, what do you think it was?" He asked, poking her to try and gain her attention. "Didn't it feel like Louise's attack?"

"Yes, it did..." She said rather quietly, still looking into the sky.

Mariel noticed that something was off with her sister. Wondering what could have her so entranced, she looked up into the sky as well.

Her knees nearly gave out when her brain processed the sight above her.

Standing on a white disk of light, looking so divine as rays of sunlight light surrounded his head, was Brimir himself.

Alex's arm began to ache when he saw Brimir. He was filled with anger, but was frozen in place from fear.

Mariel quickly snapped out of her shock and effectively dragged everyone to Louise and Saito.

"We have a problem!" She said when she reached them. "It's Brimir!"

Saito looked up in the sky, where he saw the blonde man floating down towards the ground.

"It's not a problem." Saito said. "We can finally get rid of him."

"The last time we fought him, we were all severely wounded." Shion said in a monotone voice. "Our probability of a better outcome is not much better with you and Louise here."

"I know it's not much better, but it's definitely better." He said. "Even if it's just a little better, we can still win."

"Saito is right." Sasha said. "Our chances may have only gone up by one percent, but that's better than nothing."

"Our purpose was to bait him out anyway. We got what we wanted." Louise said.

"His earlier attack decimated all friendly and enemy forces." Shion said as she spread her wings. "That means we will have no allied support, but we will also have no outside enemy interference."

By this time Brimir had landed on the ground. As soon as his feet touched the dirt beneath him, Saito's head began to feel pain again.

The pain grew more intense as Brimir slowly moved closer. The pain was now constant.

It didn't disappear or become any less intense. Realizing that he might have to fight while in that much pain, he gritted his teeth and got to his feet.

"You're in pain. Will you be able to fight like this?" Sasha asked him.

"If I could live with the pain of losing my children, I can live with this." He said gripping his sword. "I'm ready to fight."

Although she wanted to argue, she was well aware of the fact that they would need his strength, even if he was slightly weakened.

With everything settled and everyone coming to terms with what they were about to be doing, they stared down their opponent, waiting to see who would make the first move.


	83. Status Upate

Hey guys! Okay, so I know this is the second time I''ve disappeared for upwards of 6 months. Half a year of no content is pretty bad, I know. I just hit a pretty rough patch and haven't really had the drive to continue writing. I started to think no one read my story and those who did didn't like it, so I ended up just giving up on it. Depression is rough like that! But hopefully, I'll write a new chapter in the near future (2 weeks at most). I don't know if it will be good or not. And I'll have to re-read the whole story to get back into the swing of things, but I promise to have that chapter out within 2 weeks.

Sorry for making you wait (again)!


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